p161, a murine membrane protein expressed on mast cells and some macrophages, is mouse CD13/aminopeptidase N

pl6l is a membrane glycoprotein expressed on mast cells and on activated macrophages but on few if any other cells of hematopoietic lineages. Its lack of expression on basophils makes it useful to distinguish mast cells from basophils and aids in the analysis of mast cells and their precursors. p161 was purified from the mast cell line CFTL-12 by affinity chromatography and subjected to limited proteolysis. The sequences of the resultant peptides indicated that p161 is homologous with rat and human CD13/aminopeptidase N. Using oligonucleotide primers derived from rat CD13 cDNA, a mouse cDNA was obtained. Its deduced amino acid sequence displays 87% identity with rat CD13 and 76 % identity with human CD13. Expression of the mouse cDNA in M12 cells, which are p161 negative, renders these cells positive for staining with the monoclonal anti-p161 Ab, K-1. Furthermore, a mAb raised against partially purified mouse intestinal aminopeptidase N specifically blocked the binding of K-1 to both CFTL-12 cells and the transfected M12 cells. These results strongly indicate that mouse p161 is CD13/aminopeptidase N. Northern blot analysis shows that p161 mRNA is most abundantly expressed in the intestinal tract and kidney and is present in liver, lymph node, spleen, and brain.