The identification of a normal rat gene located close to the gene for the potential myoepithelial cell calcium-binding protein, p9Ka.
The potential calcium-binding protein p9Ka is related to S-100 protein and the vitamin D-dependent intestinal calcium-binding protein. p9Ka accumulates abundantly in cultured rat mammary myoepithelial-like cells but is very much less abundant in the parental cuboidal epithelial cells. p9Ka mRNA is found in normal rat mammary gland, and preliminary experiments suggest that it is found in the mammary myoepithelial cells. A 17-kilobase pair fragment of cloned normal rat DNA contains the gene for p9Ka, but it also contains the gene for two additional polypeptides of molecular mass 6 kDa that are resolved as two isoelectric focusing variants by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. These two isoelectric focusing variants correspond to two abundant polypeptides present in the cultured myoepithelial cells and probably arise from postsynthetic modification of the product of a single gene. The mRNA for the product of this gene and the p9Ka mRNA are both found in the normal rat mammary gland, but these two mRNAs are differentially expressed in certain tumor-derived rat cell lines.
Barraclough
R
R
Department of Biochemistry, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Kimbell
R
R
Rudland
P S
PS
D000818:Animals; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005796:Genes; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA