Molecular Cloning of NELIN, a Putative Human Cytoskeleton Regulation Gene

For searching cardiovascular-associated genes and investigating their expression profiles, human adult heart and aorta cDNA libraries were constructed, and a novel gene from adult heart cDNA library was isolated based on large-scale ESTs(expressed sequence tags) sequencing(GenBank accession number AF114264). The 2 736 bp clone contains one 1 344 bp open reading frame extending from 412 to 1 755. We named it NELIN (nexilin-like protein) because it shares high similarity with the rat nexilin. NELIN was expression-restricted in heart, skeletalmuscle, artery and vein by Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses, and mapped to chromosome 1p31-1p32 by database analyses. Based on domain structure, NELIN could regulate the formations of stress fibers,focal adhesion and its signaling complex, and even participates in the signal transduction in FAs(focal adhesions).