Cloning and characterization of a novel gene, WS-3, in human chromosome 8p11-p12

A novel human gene referred to as the WS-3 gene, in the short arm of human chromosome 8, was cloned by a combination of exon trapping, thermal asymmetric interlaced-PCR (TAIL-PCR) and the Marathon-Ready cDNA amplification method. The gene consists of 7 exons separated by 6 introns, and is at the telomere side of the STS marker, D8S1055. The full-length WS-3 gene contains 1052 nucleotides and codes for a protein of 190 amino acids with a calculated mol. wt. of 20,747. Southern blot experiments showed that the WS-3 gene exists as a single copy in the human genome. A protein encoded by the WS-3 gene has an R-G-D (Arg-Gly-Asp) motif in the N-terminal region, which seems to confer adhesive properties to macromolecular proteins like fibronectin. Although WS-3 is a small gene with unknown biological function, its ubiquitous expression in various tissues and organs suggests that the encoded protein is one of the essential components of all organs and tissues.