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cDNA and deduced polypeptide sequence of a mouse selenoprotein P
P Steinert1, M Ahrens, G Gross
1GBF-National Research Centre for Biotechnology, Braunschweig, Germany. pst@gbf-braunschweig.de
Biofactors (Oxford, England)
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Researchers identified a mouse selenoprotein P (SeP) cDNA clone, revealing ten selenocysteines and conserved motifs. Sequence comparisons suggest potential divergence among mammalian SeP evolution.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Selenoprotein P (SeP) is crucial for selenium transport and antioxidant defense.
- Understanding mammalian SeP diversity is important for evolutionary and functional studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clone and characterize the murine selenoprotein P (SeP) cDNA.
- To investigate conserved elements and evolutionary relationships of SeP.
Main Methods:
- Screening of an 11-day embryonic mouse cDNA library using a SeP probe.
- Sequence analysis, including alignment and RNA folding studies.
- Comparison of deduced amino acid sequences with homologous mammalian SeP.
Main Results:
- A 2075 bp murine SeP cDNA clone was obtained, containing leader, coding, and 3' untranslated regions.
- Two conserved selenocysteine inserting motifs were identified in the 3' flanking region.
- The deduced mouse SeP polypeptide has 380 residues, including ten selenocysteines, with varying homology to rat, human, and cattle SeP.
Conclusions:
- The characterized mouse SeP cDNA provides insights into its molecular structure.
- Conserved motifs suggest functional importance of selenocysteine insertion.
- Low sequence similarity across species raises questions about the molecular clade of selenoprotein P.