title: Molecular organization, expression and chromosomal localization of the mouse pronapsin gene.
abstract: Napsins have been identified only very recently as new aspartic proteinases of the pepsin family. Isolation, sequencing and functional analysis of the mouse genomic locus indicates that the organization of the pronapsin gene into nine exons is identical to that of other mammalian aspartic proteinase precursors, including pepsinogen. However, the additional C-terminal residues, which are a distinguishing feature of napsins, are encoded within exon 9 and not within an additional exon. Quantitation of pronapsin mRNA using RT-PCR indicates that the gene is transcribed in lung, kidney and spleen but not in heart. Regulation of gene expression was not influenced by the extent of CpG methylation but depended on the recognition of potential binding motifs in the promoter region by specific transcription factors such as YY-1. The single copy of the mouse pronapsin gene was located on chromosome 7. In humans, there are two pronapsin genes and, based on the mouse information, preliminary structures were deduced for these from sequences in the human genome databases. They appear to be located together on chromosome 19.
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales, UK; Institut fur Molekulare Medizin und Zellforschung, Albert-Ludwigs-Universitat, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Tatnell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kay
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002888:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19; D018899:CpG Islands; D019175:DNA Methylation; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D005091:Exons; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010434:Pepsin A / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D008156:Luciferases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C418973:pronapsin; D010434:Pepsin A