Simultaneous expression of two P-glycoprotein genes in drug-sensitive Chinese hamster ovary cells

Overexpression of P-glycoprotein is characteristic of multidrug-resistant cells. We analyzed four P-glycoprotein transcripts that are simultaneously expressed in a drug-sensitive Chinese hamster ovary cell line. We concluded that these transcripts are encoded by two distinct members of a P-glycoprotein multigene family, each of which has two alternative polyadenylation sites. A comparison of the two hamster sequences with the single reported human and mouse P-glycoprotein cDNA sequences demonstrates that P-glycoprotein is a highly conserved protein, that the hamster multigene family is undergoing concerted evolution, and that differences between gene family members are maintained across species. These conserved differences suggest that there may be functional differences between P-glycoprotein molecules.