Structure and chromosome location of Smtn, the mouse smoothelin gene

Smoothelins are cytoskeleton-associated proteins that are found in contractile smooth muscle. Two isoforms have been identified: smoothelin-A, expressed in visceral tissues and smoothelin-B, found in vascular tissues. The mouse smoothelin gene (Smtn) was isolated and characterized. It was assigned to chromosome 11 band A2-A3 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The gene consists of 20 exons and spans 23 kb. Its structure is conserved between mouse and human. The proximal promoter of both smoothelin-A and smoothelin-B contains several transcription factor-binding sites but lacks a consensus TATA box.