title: Molecular cloning and characterization of a putative mouse hyaluronan synthase.
abstract: We report the isolation of a novel mouse gene which encodes a putative hyaluronan synthase. The cDNA was identified using degenerate reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Degenerate primers were designed based upon an alignment of the amino acid sequences of Streptococcus pyogenes HasA, Xenopus laevis DG42, and Rhizobium meliloti NodC. A mouse embryo cDNA library was screened with the resultant polymerase chain reaction product, and multiple cDNA clones spanning 3 kilobase pairs (kb) were isolated. The open reading frame predicted a 63-kDa protein with several transmembrane sequences, multiple consensus phosphorylation sites, and four putative hyaluronan binding motifs. The amino acid sequence displayed 55% identity to mouse HAS, 56% identity to Xenopus DG42, and 21% identity to Streptococcus HasA. Northern analysis identified transcripts of 4.8 kb and 3.2 kb, which were expressed highly in the developing mouse embryo and at lower levels in adult mouse heart, brain, spleen, lung, and skeletal muscle. Transfection experiments demonstrated that mouse Has2 could direct hyaluronan coat biosynthesis in transfected COS cells, as evidenced by a classical particle exclusion assay. These results suggest that mammalian HA synthase activity is regulated by at least two related genes. Accordingly, we propose the name Has2 for this gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona 85259, USA.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Spicer
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Augustine
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McDonald
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D018628:Gene Dosage; D015723:Gene Library; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016695:Glycosyltransferases; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014166:Transferases; D029867:Xenopus Proteins
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D014166:Transferases; D016695:Glycosyltransferases; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; C056944:HAS1 protein, Xenopus; C491096:Has2 protein, Xenopus; C491099:Has2 protein, mouse; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases