title: TEPP, a new gene specifically expressed in testis, prostate, and placenta and well conserved in chordates.
abstract: We have combined computer-based screening and experimental expression analysis to identify genes that are expressed in normal prostate and/or prostate cancer but not in essential human tissues. Using this approach we identified a new gene that is specifically expressed in testis, prostate, and placenta. The gene has one major transcript of 1.0kb in size and encodes for a protein of 30.7kDa molecular weight. We named this gene TEPP (expressed in testis, prostate, and placenta). The amino acid sequence analysis of TEPP using SignalP program shows that it has a signal peptide with a predicted cleavage site between amino acids 19 and 20, indicating that it might be a secreted protein. Analysis of the predicted TEPP orthologs from different species shows that these proteins are highly conserved in chordates. In addition we have identified a splice variant of TEPP, which encodes a 37kDa protein. In conclusion, a combination of bioinformatic and molecular approaches is useful in the identification of genes expressed in specific tissues. Selective expression of TEPP in testis, prostate, and in placenta and its high conservation among different species indicate that TEPP might have a role in reproductive biology.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Tapan Kumar
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Bera
authors.forename: Yoonsoo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Byungkook
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ira H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Pastan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D043344:Chordata; D002938:Ciona intestinalis; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D011467:Prostate / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000379:methods; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein / Q000379:methods*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C482585:SPMIP8 protein, human