title: Cloning and characterization of the rat homologues of the Inhibitor of Apoptosis protein 1, 2, and 3 genes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAP) proteins are key intrinsic regulators of apoptosis induced by a variety of triggers. We isolated the rat Inhibitor of Apoptosis genes 1, 2 and 3 and characterized their tissue distribution and expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rat iap-1 encodes a protein of 67.1 kDa with 73 % and 89.2 % homology to human and mouse iap-1 respectively. Rat iap-2 encodes a protein of 66.7 kDa with 81.6 % and 89.3 % homology to human and mouse iap-2 respectively. Rat iap-3 encodes a protein of 56.1 kDa with 89.5 % and 93.1 % homology to human and mouse iap-3 respectively. We have generated rabbit polyclonal antibodies against all three rat IAP genes. Northern and Western blot analysis detected rat IAP transcripts and proteins in majority of the tissues examined. In addition, a shorter, alternatively spliced transcript corresponding to iap-2 was found in testes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have identified three rat homologues of the IAP genes. The elevated expression of rat iap-1 and iap2 in testes suggests that these two genes play an important antiapoptotic role in spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Solange G, Karsh Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada. martin@mgcheo.med.uottawa.ca
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holcik
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Korneluk