title: Murine ortholog of the novel glycosyltransferase, B3GTL: primary structure, characterization of the gene and transcripts, and expression in tissues.
abstract: Glycosylation of proteins and lipids is important in cellular communication and maintenance of tissues. B3GTL (beta3-glycosyltransferase-like) is a novel glycosyltransferase that is found in multicellular animals ranging from mammals to insects and nematodes. The aim of this work was to identify and characterize the B3GTL gene in the mouse and to study its expression in various tissues. The murine gene codes for a protein which shares 84% amino acid sequence identity with its human ortholog, and contains all the primary structural features that characterize B3GTL proteins. The murine and human B3GTL genes share an identical exon/intron organization, and both genes utilize multiple polyadenylation signals. Their promoter regions show extensive conservation, implying that the two genes also share regulatory similarities. This notion was reinforced by Northern hybridization analysis of mouse tissues, which showed the tissue distribution of B3GTL mRNA to be similar to that previously found in human tissues, with the heart, kidney, and brain being major sites of expression in both species. The localization of B3GTL mRNA was studied by in situ hybridization in an extensive collection of mouse tissues, of which the granular cells of the olfactory bulb and the epithelium of the seminal vesicle displayed particularly strong signals. Together, these analyses indicate that the B3GTL mRNA is subject to strong tissue-specific and developmental regulation. The findings reported here make possible the design of a B3GTL "knock-out" mouse, provide a framework for analyzing the regulation of the gene, and provide an extensive catalog of tissues in which this novel protein acts.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Research Centre, University of Tampere Medical School and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Taisto Y K
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pelto-Huikko
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pasternack
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mäki
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kainulainen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C513580:B3glct protein, mouse; D016695:Glycosyltransferases