title: Cloning of mouse ptx3, a new member of the pentraxin gene family expressed at extrahepatic sites.
abstract: Pentraxins, which include C reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid P component (SAP), are prototypic acute phase reactants that serve as indicators of inflammatory reactions. Here we report genomic and cDNA cloning of mouse ptx3 (mptx3), a member of the pentraxin gene family and characterize its extrahepatic expression in vitro and in vivo. mptx3 is organized into three exons on chromosome 3: the first (43 aa) and second exon (175 aa) code for the signal peptide and for a protein portion with no high similarity to known sequences the third (203 aa) for a domain related to classical pentraxins, which contains the "pentraxin family signature." Analysis of the N terminal portion predicts a predominantly alpha helical structure, while the pentraxin domain of ptx3 is accommodated comfortably in the tertiary structure fold of SAP. Normal and transformed fibroblasts, undifferentiated and differentiated myoblasts, normal endothelial cells, and mononuclear phagocytes express mptx3 mRNA and release the protein in vitro on exposure to interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha. mptx3 was induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide in vivo in a variety of organs and, most strongly, in the vascular endothelium of skeletal muscle and heart. Thus, mptx3 shows a distinct pattern of in vivo expression indicative of a significant role in cardiovascular and inflammatory pathology.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Recerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Introna
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Alles
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castellano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Picardi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Gioia
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bottazzai
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Breviario
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salmona
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Gregorio
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Dragani
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Blundell
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mantovani
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005810:Multigene Family; D009115:Muridae / Q000235:genetics*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011487:Protein Conformation; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007375:Interleukin-1; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000099153:Pentraxins