Molecular cloning of flounder Xp18, a newly identified highly conserved protein mainly expressed in the ovary

Type Article
Date 2003-03
Language English
Author(s) Cachot Jerome, Bultelle Florence, Drouot Laurent, Galgani FrancoisORCID, Frebourg Thierry, Leboulenger François, Danger Jean-Michel
Affiliation(s) Univ Le Havre, UPRES EA 3222, IFRMP 23, Lab Ecotoxicol, F-76058 Le Havre, France.
Univ Rouen, INSERM, IFRMP 23, U519, F-76183 Rouen, France.
IFREMER, DEL, F-34200 Sete, France.
Univ Rouen, INSERM, IFRMP 23, Mol Genet Lab,EMI 9906, F-76183 Rouen, France.
Source Gene (0378-1119) (Elsevier), 2003-03 , Vol. 307 , N. 27 , P. 13-21
DOI 10.1016/S0378-1119(03)00460-8
WOS© Times Cited 1
Keyword(s) X chromosome, Brain, Ovary, Human, Teleostean, Platichthys flesus
Abstract Screening of a flounder ovary cDNA library with a rainbow trout p53 probe led to the isolation of a p53-unrelated cDNA encoding an unknown 161 amino acid protein. In view of its apparent molecular weight and yet unknown function, the deduced protein was named Xp18. Corresponding orthologous cDNAs or expressed sequence tags have been identified in several species including human, rodents, bovine, chicken and zebrafish and a related cDNA has also been isolated in the fruit fly. Deduced amino acid sequences appeared to be extremely well conserved throughout vertebrate evolution. Structure predictions suggested that Xp 18 may correspond to an integral protein comprising four transmembrane domains. The charged C-termini of all known vertebrate Xp18-like proteins displayed a characteristic KXKXX motif which is considered as an endoplasmic reticulum targeting sequence. Gene expression, as shown by Northern blot and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis, was significantly higher in the ovary and to a lesser extent in the brain. Xp18 transcripts were also detected by in situ hybridization in most of the circumventricular regions of the brain of adult flounders. The gene encoding the human protein is located on chromosome Xq22.1, a genome region involved in numerous genetic diseases including premature ovarian failure.
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