Gene structural analysis and expression of human renal dipeptidase

Human renal dipeptidase cDNA and genomic DNA were isolated from human kidney cDNA and genomic libraries, respectively. The human renal dipeptidase gene has a total length of approximately 6 kb and consists of ten exons and nine introns. The exons and cDNA each encode the 411 amino acid residues of the precursor protein, including 16 amino acid residues of signal sequence and a hydrophobic carboxyl terminal sequence for the attachment of a phosphatidylinositol glycan. Although the cDNA was slightly different from the cDNA reported by Adachi et al. (1990), the differences observed suggest, by comparison with human genomic DNA, that it may not represent an allelic variant but a cloning artifact. The recombinant human renal dipeptidase was produced on the surface of transfected L929 cells and had the same character as native renal dipeptidase. Northern blotting hybridization analysis showed that renal dipeptidase mRNA is only transcribed in kidney.