title: Mouse hepatocyte growth factor activator gene: its expression not only in the liver but also in the gastrointestinal tract.
abstract: A cDNA encoding mouse hepatocyte growth factor activator (HGFA) has been cloned by RT-PCR, based on the screening result from the database of expressed sequence tags. Subsequently, its gene was cloned from a mouse genomic bacterial artificial chromosome library using the cDNA as a probe. Sequencing analysis revealed that mouse HGFA protein deduced from the cDNA, similar to its human and rat counterparts, has two epidermal growth factor-like domains, type 1 and 2 fibronectin homology domains, a single kringle domain and a catalytic domain of serine proteinase, and the gene consists of 14 exon spanning approximately 7.5 kb. Interestingly, mouse HGFA mRNA was detected not only in the liver but also in the gastrointestinal tract by RNA blot analysis. Since hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is up-regulated in the damaged gastrointestinal mucosa, our present data suggest that HGFA might activate proHGF directly in the gastrointestinal mucosa and play an important role in wound repair throughout the gastrointestinal tract.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Pathology, Miyazaki Medical College, Miyazaki, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hamasuna
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koono
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004064:Digestive System / Q000378:metabolism*; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D015870:Gene Expression; D015723:Gene Library; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017385:Sequence Homology; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; C081092:HGF activator; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases