title: Genomic organization of the mouse and human genes for vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGF-B) and characterization of a second splice isoform.
abstract: A second isoform and the genomic structures of mouse and human vascular endothelial growth factor B are described. Both genes consist of seven coding exons and span about 4 kilobases of DNA. The two identified isoforms of vascular endothelial growth factor B are generated by alternative splicing where different splice acceptor sites in exon 6 introduce a frameshift and a partial use of different but overlapping reading frames. Consequently, the COOH-terminal domains in the two isoforms show no resemblance. Mouse and human cDNA clones for the novel isoform of vascular endothelial growth factor B encoded a secreted protein of 186 amino acid residues. Expression in transfected cells generated a protein of 25 kDa which upon secretion was modified by O-linked glycosylation and displayed a molecular mass of 32 kDa under reducing conditions. The protein was expressed as a disulfide-linked homodimer, and heterodimers were generated when coexpressed with vascular endothelial growth factor. The entirely different COOH-terminal domains in the two isoforms of vascular endothelial growth factor B imply that some functional properties of the two proteins are distinct.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Stockholm Branch, Box 240, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olofsson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pajusola
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: von Euler
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chilov
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alitalo
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002460:Cell Line; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004220:Disulfides / Q000378:metabolism; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005091:Exons; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014162:Transfection; D042561:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004220:Disulfides; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042561:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B