title: Expression of GTP-binding protein alpha subunits in human thymocytes.
abstract: In this report, we investigate G protein alpha subunit diversity in human thymocytes, utilizing common properties shared by these genes and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Sequence analysis of PCR amplified gene portions, indicate the presence of members from all four G-protein families that have been described thus far. The alpha subunit genes identified are: G alpha i1-3 and G alpha z but not G alpha o from the Gi family, G alpha s from the Gs family, G alpha 11, G alpha q, and G alpha 16 from the Gq family, and G alpha 12 and G alpha 13 from the G12 family. Also in this report we present the nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequences of the human G alpha 13 cloned from a thymocyte cDNA library. The sequence of the human G alpha 13 has not been previously reported. Comparison of this sequence with the reported murine G alpha 13 shows > 90% identity at the deduced amino acid sequence level. We conclude that thymocytes represent a useful experimental system for the study of G protein involvement in immune responses and lymphocyte development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, San Diego State University, CA 92182, USA.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Kabouridis
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stanners
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Tsoukas
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins