title: Characterization and expression of murine PRELP.
abstract: The cDNA sequence of the murine proline/arginine-rich end leucine-rich repeat protein (PRELP) gene was cloned by PCR-based techniques. The gene encodes a protein of 378 amino acids, which is four amino acid residues shorter than its human counterpart. This difference resides mainly in the amino terminal region of the mature protein, which is five amino acids shorter in the mouse than the human and has a lower arginine content. The remainder of the protein, including the structure of the leucine-rich repeats, the potential sites for N-linked glycosylation, and the disulfide-bonded domains are well conserved between species. In common with humans, the murine gene possesses three exons, with the translation initiation codon residing in exon 2 and the termination codon in exon 3. Exons 1 and 2 are separated by an intron of approximately 6.7 kbp, whereas exons 2 and 3 are separated by an intron of approximately 1.7 kbp. Western blot analysis of mouse cartilage extracts indicates that PRELP exists as a glycoprotein of approximately 55 kDa, as in human cartilage. Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization analysis reveal that PRELP is expressed in cartilage throughout both fetal development and post-natal life, in contrast to the human where expression in cartilage is not apparent prior to birth. Northern blot analysis indicates that PRELP mRNA is also expressed in the developing embryo prior to skeletogenesis. The promoter region of the mouse PRELP gene possesses no TATA box in its proximal region, in common with humans, and shows differences in the conservation of elements known to be involved in regulating expression of the human PRELP gene.
authors.affiliation: Genetics Unit, Shriners Hospital for Children, 1529 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1A6.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Roughley
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; C096382:PRELP protein, human; C490748:Prelp protein, mouse