title: Calcineurin/nuclear factors of activated T cells (NFAT)-activating and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-containing protein (CNAIP), a novel ITAM-containing protein that activates the calcineurin/NFAT-signaling pathway.
abstract: We report in this study the identification and characterization of a novel protein that we designated as calcineurin/NFAT-activating and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-containing protein (CNAIP). The predicted 270-amino acid sequence contains an N-terminal signal peptide, an immunoglobin domain in the extracellular region, a transmembrane domain and an ITAM in the cytoplasmic tail. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR showed that CNAIP was preferentially expressed in neutrophils, monocytes, mast cells, and other immune-related cells. Co-transfection of CNAIP expression constructs with luciferase reporter plasmids in HMC-1 cells resulted in activation of interleukin-13 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha promoters, which was mediated through the calcineurin/NFAT-signaling pathway. Mutation of either or both tyrosines in the ITAM abolished transcriptional activation induced by CNAIP, indicating that the ITAM is indispensable for CNAIP function in activating cytokine gene promoters. Thus, it is concluded that CNAIP is a novel ITAM-containing protein that activates the calcineurin/NFAT-signaling pathway and the downstream cytokine gene promoters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exploratory Biology, Tanox, Inc., Houston, Texas 77025, USA.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Guanghui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Shen-Wu
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yucheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhengbin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C475087:NFAM1 protein, human; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D019703:Calcineurin