J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 262, Issue 9, 3958-3963, Mar, 1987
Structure, organization, and regulation of a hamster proline-rich protein gene. A multigene family
DK Ann, D Gadbois and DM Carlson
Genomic DNA fragments bearing proline-rich protein (PRP) genes expressed
specifically in hamster parotid glands have been isolated and
characterized. Complete exonic sequences as well as intronic and a
considerable portion of the flanking sequences are reported for a PRP gene,
H29. H29 is interrupted by three intervening sequences, with consensus
splice junctions, and it likely encodes the acidic hamster PRP Hp43a.
Exceedingly high homology of the 5'-untranslated region and the sequence
encoding the signal peptide is observed with other PRPs of all species
studied. Significant homology was also detected among the repetitive
sequences of the mature acidic PRPs from human, mouse, hamster, and rat.
This conservation of the internal repeats of the PRPs suggested that
proline-rich protein gene evolution involved intragenic duplication of
internal repeats and gene duplication and conversion. Both hamster and
mouse PRP genes (H29 and mouse proline-rich protein gene, respectively)
share considerable sequence similarity in the 5'- flanking regions for
about 100 base pairs upstream. The remainder of the upstream sequences were
heterologous except for three oligonucleotide regions with 60-70% sequence
conservation. These three regions are thought to be involved in the
regulation of the tissue- specific PRP gene induction.