title: Cloning of the human twist gene: its expression is retained in adult mesodermally-derived tissues.
abstract: We have previously reported on the isolation of several differentially expressed genes derived from young and senescent non growing WI-38 human fetal lung-derived fibroblasts. A 0.8-kb cDNA clone, isolate EPC-A2 (early population doubling cDNA-A2), encodes the 3' end of the human homolog of the Twist protein. Twist genes encode basic helix-loop-helix DNA-binding transcription factors that play crucial roles in mesoderm development. Here, we report the cloning and sequencing of the genomic human twist gene. It encodes a protein of 201 amino acids with 96% amino acid sequence identity to mouse Twist, and 100% sequence conservation in the DNA-binding region among all species in which it has been characterized. We further show that expression of human twist is retained in mesodermally-derived tissues and cell lines derived from adult donors.
authors.affiliation: Center for Gerontological Research, Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: V W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Coljee
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pignolo
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Rotenberg
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Cristofalo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sierra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D005347:Fibroblasts; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D006801:Humans; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D015719:Single-Strand Specific DNA and RNA Endonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1
chemical_list: D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C103173:TWIST1 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1; D015719:Single-Strand Specific DNA and RNA Endonucleases