Genomic organization and expression of the rat TRPM-2 (clusterin) gene, a gene implicated in apoptosis.
We describe the genomic structure of the rat TRPM-2 gene. This gene is induced de novo during the regression of the prostate and other hormone-dependent tissues after hormone ablation and plays an important role in apoptosis, or active cell death. TRPM-2 is a single copy gene, organized into nine exons, ranging in size from 47 base pairs (exon I) to 412 base pairs (exon IV), spanning a region of 13,750 base pairs. Comparison with sequences registered in the data bases shows that it has extensive homology to SGP-2, a gene that is expressed constitutively in the testis, although the sequences diverge dramatically in the 5'-untranslated region of the mRNA (coded for by exon I in TRPM-2), raising the possibility of alternative exon I usage in SGP-2. Primer extension, S1 nuclease protection, and extensive polymerase chain reaction analysis suggest that the TRPM-2 transcript from the prostate and the SGP-2 transcript from the testis are in fact identical and only contain the exon I sequence identified in the TRPM-2 genomic clone. Analysis of the promoter region of the TRPM-2 gene demonstrates that the putative control region contains several potential regulatory elements that may regulate the complex tissue-specific control of a gene which must be constitutively expressed in some tissues but repressed in others until induced during active cell death.
Wong
P
P
Department of Biochemistry, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Pineault
J
J
Lakins
J
J
Taillefer
D
D
Léger
J
J
Wang
C
C
Tenniswood
M
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D016923:Cell Death / Q000235:genetics; D051152:Clusterin; D004247:DNA; D005091:Exons; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009919:Orchiectomy; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
C498500:Clu protein, rat; D051152:Clusterin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA