Characterization of a second human clathrin heavy chain polypeptide gene (CLH-22) from chromosome 22q11

We report cloning and characterization of the second human clathrin heavy chain polypeptide gene (CLH-22) localized to chromosome 22q11. Hence H. sapiens is the first species for which two clathrin heavy chain genes have been reported. We provide 5470 bp cDNA sequence covering the entire open reading frame of the CLH-22 gene. The predicted polypeptide is composed of 1640 amino acids. Its 6 kb transcript is expressed in all of 16 tested human tissues, suggesting it is a housekeeping gene. Skeletal muscle, testis and heart show significantly higher expression levels. Compared to the previously characterized human clathrin heavy chain gene localized on chromosome 17 (CLH-17), CLH-22 shows different transcript size and expression profile in human tissues. Northern analysis of CLH-22 suggests that several alternatively spliced transcripts exist. A presumably single, 171 bp long alternatively spliced exon has been characterized. Amino acid sequence comparison between CLH-22 and CLH-17 shows an overall identify and similarity of 84.7 and 91.1%, respectively. At the nucleic acid level, identity between open reading frames of both genes is 74.3%. Sequence comparison with previously cloned genes in other species suggests that counterparts of the CLH-17 gene have been cloned in B. taurus and R. norvegicus, whereas presumptive mammalian homologues of the CLH-22 gene are yet to be characterized. Our Northern and Southern blot analyses of meningiomas clearly suggest the CLH-22 gene may be involved in the tumor development and can be considered as a candidate for a tumor suppressor.