title: cDNA sequence, gene structure, and cholinesterase-like domains of an esterase from Caenorhabditis elegans mapped to chromosome V.
abstract: The structure of an esterase gene from Caenorhabditis elegans has been determined by comparison of the sequences in genomic and cDNA clones. The gene was mapped close to the center of chromosome V (1.7 centimorgans to the left of dpy-11) and is therefore distinct from the gut esterase gene ges-1. It possessed 7 short introns. The 5' splice site of intron 3 presented the sequence GC instead of the usual GT that was found in the other six introns. The cDNA was trans-spliced with the short leader SL1. The open reading frame indicated that a protein of 557 aminoacids was encoded. The deduced aminoacid sequence did not present a signal peptide at the N-terminal but a potential N-myristoylation site (GXXXS) provided that the initiator methionine was removed. This protein should therefore remain intracellular. Comparison of this C. elegans sequence to other protein sequences in databases, as well as the analysis of the secondary structure in the protein showed that it belongs to the subgroup of esterases in the alpha/beta hydrolase fold family.
authors.affiliation: Différenciation cellulaire et Croissance, INRA, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fedon
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cousin
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Toutant
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thierry-Mieg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arpagaus
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004950:Esterases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004950:Esterases; C084338:F13H6.3 protein, C elegans; D002802:Cholinesterases