title: A novel gene family encoding leucine-rich repeat transmembrane proteins differentially expressed in the nervous system.
abstract: Leucine-rich repeat containing proteins are involved in protein-protein interactions and they regulate numerous cellular events during nervous system development and disease. Here we have isolated and characterized a new four-membered family of genes from human and mouse, named LRRTMs, that encode putative leucine-rich repeat transmembrane proteins. Human and mouse LRRTMs are highly conserved, and orthologous genes exist in other vertebrates but not in invertebrates. All LRRTMs, except LRRTM4, are located in the introns of different alpha-catenin genes, suggesting coevolution of these two gene families. We show by in situ hybridization and RT-PCR that LRRTM mRNAs are predominantly expressed in the nervous system and that each LRRTM possesses a specific, partially nonoverlapping expression pattern. The structure and expression profile of LRRTM mRNAs suggest that they may have a role in the development and maintenance of the vertebrate nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Program in Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 9), FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland. Juha.Lauren@Helsinki.Fi
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laurén
authors.forename: Matti S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Airaksinen
authors.forename: Mart
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saarma
authors.forename: Tõnis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Timmusk
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007930:Leucine; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000737:chemistry; D010802:Phylogeny; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics*; D051178:alpha Catenin
chemical_list: C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; C495272:Ctnna1 protein, mouse; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051178:alpha Catenin; D007930:Leucine