title: cDNA cloning and expression of human activin betaE subunit.
abstract: We cloned human activin betaE subunit cDNA from a liver cDNA library using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The deduced amino acid sequence was 97 and 96% homologous to the mouse and rat activin betaE subunits. Human activin betaE subunit tagged with Myc and polyhistidine residues at the COOH terminus was expressed in mammalian cells and secreted into the medium as a disulphide-linked homodimer protein. We also found that the human activin betaE protein could bind to follistatin, an activin-binding protein. Northern blot analysis showed that this gene was expressed as a major transcript of 2.7 kb predominantly in human liver. These findings suggest that activin E (dimeric protein) may play a role in humans.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Animal Science, Kitasato University, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Towada, Aomori 034-8628, Japan. ohashim@vmas.kitasato-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuchida
authors.forename: Yuuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ushiro
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hosoi
authors.forename: Nobuhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hoshi
authors.forename: Hiromu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugino
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D038681:Follistatin / Q000378:metabolism; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D038681:Follistatin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits