Cloning and tissue expression of the rat RAB 3C GTP-binding protein

A cDNA clone which encodes the low molecular weight GTP-binding protein rab 3C was isolated from a rat PC12 pheochromocytoma library. The 1.0 kb clone contains the entire coding region (681 bp), as well as 5' (89 bp) and 3' (230 bp) untranslated sequences. The predicted amino acid sequence of the rat rab 3C clone is 98% identical to the bovine rab 3C sequence and 85% identical to the rat rab 3A sequence. Northern blot analyses using probes containing coding and noncoding sequences of the rat rab 3C clone hybridized to a 9.5 kb transcript in brain, adrenal gland, and pituitary RNA pools.