title: Human uncoupling protein gene: structure, comparison with rat gene, and assignment to the long arm of chromosome 4.
abstract: The uncoupling protein (UCP) gene encodes a unique mammalian mitochondrial proton carrier that induces heat production in brown adipocytes. Human UCP gene was isolated and its organization analyzed. A comparison was made with rat UCP gene. Human UCP gene spans 13 Kb and contains a transcribed region that covers 9 Kb of the human genome. All of the exons were also sequenced except the extreme end of the 3' untranslated region. Two Kb DNA upstream the TATA box were also sequenced. This region contains several fragments that are highly homologous to the gene of rat UCP. Neither CCAAT sequence nor Sp 1 binding motif were detected. Human UCP gene is split into six exons. The complete amino acid sequence of the protein was determined. Human UCP has 305 amino acids and a molecular weight of 32,786. It has no N-terminal targeting sequence. It is 79% homologous to rat UCP both at nucleotidic and amino acid levels. The primary structure of UCP is significantly homologous to the primary structure of the human T1 ADP/ATP carrier, particularly in the C-terminal extremity, which is supposed to contain a nucleotide-binding site in both proteins. Human UCP gene is single type, as it is in rodents. Two genomic fragments were used to detect a 1.9 Kb mRNA in human perirenal brown adipose tissue. Using in situ hybridization, UCP gene was assigned in humans to chromosome 4 in q31. Interestingly, the T1 gene encoding the heart-skeletal muscle ADP/ATP carrier has recently been shown to be on the same chromosome (Li et al. Biol Chem 264:13998, 1989).
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche sur la Nutrition, CNRS, Meudon, France.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cassard
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bouillaud
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Mattei
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hentz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raimbault
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ricquier
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002894:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4; D015342:DNA Probes; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000226:Mitochondrial ADP, ATP Translocases / Q000235:genetics; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009132:Muscles / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D013045:Species Specificity; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D015342:DNA Probes; D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D000226:Mitochondrial ADP, ATP Translocases