Molecular cloning, structure, expression, and chromosomal localization of the human Osterix (SP7) gene.
We report the isolation of the human orthologue of the mouse Osterix (Osx/Sp7) gene, a C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor of the SP gene family and putative "master" regulator of bone cell differentiation. The human SP7 cDNA encodes a putative 431 amino acid protein that contains three consecutive C2H2 zinc finger repeats. The SP7 protein is highly conserved between mice and humans with an overall sequence identity of 95%. The expression of a SP7 mRNA transcript of approximately 3.2 kb is restricted to bone-derived cell lines in vitro but undetectable in any adult tissues including mandibular bone by Northern blot hybridization. The specific expression of SP7 mRNA in osteoblasts in vivo was further confirmed by in situ hybridization on human embryonic tissues. The highly restricted expression pattern and the divergence of the sequence outside of the zinc finger region distinguish SP7 as a unique member of the SP family. The SP7 gene consists of two exons, with exon 2 containing most of the protein coding sequence. The gene locus was mapped to chromosome 12q13.13 by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The identification and initial characterization of the SP7 gene will facilitate the study of the molecular regulation of osteoblast differentiation in humans.
Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) Group in Matrix Dynamics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Fitzgerald Building, Room 239, 150 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3E2.
Yuguang
Y
Gao
Andrew
A
Jheon
Houman
H
Nourkeyhani
Hiroaki
H
Kobayashi
Bernhard
B
Ganss
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002881:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12 / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D000076182:Sp7 Transcription Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000076182:Sp7 Transcription Factor; C478163:SP7 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors