title: Enovin, a member of the glial cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family with growth promoting activity on neuronal cells. Existence and tissue-specific expression of different splice variants.
abstract: Glial cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), neurturin and persephin are neurotrophic factors involved in neuroneal differentiation, development and maintenance. They act on different types of neuroneal cells and signal through a receptor complex composed of a specific ligand-binding subunit of the GDNF family receptor alpha (GFRalpha) family together with a common signaling partner, the cRET protein tyrosine kinase. We describe the molecular cloning, expression, chromosomal localization and functional characterization of enovin, a fourth GDNF family member almost identical to the recently described artemin. We show the occurence in most tissues of several differently spliced mRNA variants for enovin, of which only two are able to translate into functional enovin protein. Some tissues seem to express only nonfunctional transcripts. These observations may underlie a complex transcriptional regulation pattern. Enovin mRNA expression is detectable in all adult and fetal human tissues examined, but expression levels are highest in peripheral tissues including prostate, placenta, pancreas, heart and kidney. This tissue distribution pattern is in accordance with that of GFRalpha-3, which here is shown to be the preferred ligand-binding receptor for enovin (Kd = 3.1 nM). The human enovin gene is localized on chromosome 1, region p31.3-p32. In vitro, enovin stimulates neurite outgrowth and counteracts taxol-induced neurotoxicity in staurosporine-differentiated SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. The peripheral expression pattern of enovin and its receptor together with its effects on neuroneal cells suggest that enovin might be useful for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases in general and peripheral neuropathies in particular.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology & High-Throughput Screening, Janssen Research Foundation, Beerse, Belium. smasure@janbe.jnj.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masure
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Geerts
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cik
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hoefnagel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Den Kieboom
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tuytelaars
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lesage
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Leysen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Der Helm
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verhasselt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yon
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1 / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; C495039:GDNF protein, human; C494993:GFRA3 protein, human; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C403186:enovin