Isolation and characterization of a cDNA for human MEP/Cathepsin L

Conference · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6081090

Gal, S; Gottesman, M M

The major excreted acid protease from malignantly transformed mouse cells (MEP) has similar enzymatic properties to Cathepsin L. They have cloned and sequenced the mouse cDNA for this protein. In this work they report the isolation and characterization of a cDNA for human MEP. A 1.6 kb cDNA from an Okayama-Berg library made from mRNA from SV-40 transformed human fibroblasts was isolated by cross-hybridization at low stringency to the mouse cDNA. Sequence analysis shows that the cloned DNA is more than 70% homologous to the mouse DNA within the protein coding region, non-coding 3' and 5' regions being less homologous than this. The deduced amino acid sequence from the single open reading frame is 98% homologous with the partial protein sequence published for human Cathepsin L and 70% homologous to mouse MEP. Northern blots show that mouse and human cells make a similar size message, about 1.8 kb. A Northern blot of human tissues shows the highest levels of MEP/Cathepsin L mRNA in liver, stomach, ovary and small bowel, with lower levels in other tissues. The isolation of this human clone for MEP/Cathepsin L will allow them to determine whether expression of this protease is correlated with tumorigenicity in human cells as it is in the mouse system.

• Research Organization: National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD
• OSTI ID: 6081090
• Report Number(s): CONF-870644-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States) Journal Volume: 46:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550200* -- Biochemistry
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINO ACID SEQUENCE
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
CATHEPSIN
CLONING
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DISTRIBUTION
DNA SEQUENCING
DNA-CLONING
ENZYMES
FIBROBLASTS
HYDROLASES
MAMMALS
MAN
MESSENGER-RNA
MICE
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PEPTIDE HYDROLASES
PRIMATES
RNA
RODENTS
SH-PROTEINASES
SOMATIC CELLS
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
VERTEBRATES