Multiple promoter and splicing mRNA variants of the epididymis-specific gene EP2.
The EP2 gene codes for a family of androgen-dependent, epididymis-specific secretory proteins. Using probes derived from human HE2 cDNA, a chimpanzee epididymal cDNA library was screened. Five variants of chimpanzee EP2 cDNA were identified. Variant 1 (EP2A) is the chimpanzee ortholog of HE2. Variant 2 (EP2B) has an alternative 5' end. Variant 3 (EP2C) has an alternative 3' end. Two additional variants were identified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Variant 4 (EP2D) and variant 5 (EP2E) appear to lack an exon, resulting in a shift in the open reading frame. Presumably, the 5 variants originate from the same gene and result from alternative promoters and alternative splicing. Each of the putative proteins encoded by these variant messages has a leader sequence characteristic for a secretory protein. After removal of the leader sequence, each of these proteins is predicted to consist of 1 or 2 out of 4 possible peptide modules. Two of these modules have no recognizable homology to known proteins. The other 2 modules have a distribution of cysteine residues characteristic for beta-defensins, a family of proteins with antimicrobial activity.
Fröhlich
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Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. froehlich@physio.emory.edu
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Murphy
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Young
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D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000502:physiology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D023082:Defensins; D004822:Epididymis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D023082:Defensins; D006020:Glycopeptides; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C087044:SPAG11A protein, human