Cloning of a cDNA which encodes a novel ubiquitin-like protein

The cloning of a mouse cDNA, Nedd-8, which encodes a small novel protein of 81 amino acid residues with a relative molecular mass of 9 kDa, is described. The putative Nedd-8 product is approximately 60% identical to ubiquitin protein. The 0.6 kb mRNA for Nedd-8 gene can be detected in various mouse tissues and cell lines derived from various sources. Nedd-8 probe hybridizes to genomic DNA from various vertebrate species as well as yeast, indicating high degree of interspecies conservation. These data suggest that like ubiquitin, the product of this gene may play some essential role in eukaryotic cellular metabolism.