title: Comparison of the structure and expression of the human and rat neprilysin (endopeptidase 24.11)-encoding genes.
abstract: The existence of a third non-coding exon in the human neprilysin-encoding gene (h-NEP), positionally located as exon 3, has been demonstrated by reverse transcription of RNA from human kidney and lung, coupled with the polymerase chain reaction. Comparison of nucleotide sequences between h-NEP and the rat NEP (r-NEP) genes shows a high degree of sequence conservation within noncoding exons 1 and 2. In contrast, the region of the gene containing exon 3 is highly divergent. Two transcripts derived from exon 2 by alternative splicing, type-2a and type-2b, were demonstrated in human kidney and lung. In contrast, only the type-2b transcript was present in these same tissues in the rat. The type-1 transcript was detected in human kidney, lung and brain, this transcript appearing to be the major species in brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536-0084, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Gerard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerard
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bozic
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Hersh
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D005091:Exons; D015870:Gene Expression; D015186:Hominidae / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015260:Neprilysin