title: Gene cloning and biochemical characterization of the BMP-2 of Pinctada fucata.
abstract: The bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) constitute a subfamily of the transforming growth factor type beta (TGF-beta) supergene family. BMP-2 plays an important role not only in osteoblast differentiation but also in pattern formation during development. To determine the function of BMP-2 in Pinctada fucata development and hard tissue formation, we isolated a BMP-2 genomic DNA clone and the BMP-2 cDNA. The deduced BMP-2 sequence consisted of 447 amino acids. The BMP-2 gene was composed of three exons. The C-terminal portion (149 amino acids) had 86% and 66% identity to the Crassostrea gigas and the human BMP-2 sequence respectively. The 5' flanking promoter region contained putative glioma transcription factor (Gli) and retinoic acid receptor (RAR) responding elements. The BMP-2 gene was expressed strongly in the inner part of the mantle tissue, corresponding to the nacreous aragonite shell layer. This finding suggests that BMP-2 has a key role in nacreous layer formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology, Kinki University, Kinokawa, Wakayama, Japan. miyasita@waka.kindai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.forename: Takuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanashita
authors.forename: Michinori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toriyama
authors.forename: Ryousuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Tamaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akashika
authors.forename: Nobuto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Higashikubo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D015698:Genomic Library; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008974:Mollusca / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C525718:BMP2 protein, human; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta