cDNA cloning and Escherichia coli expression of UK114 tumor antigen

Experimental evidence indicates that the antineoplastic effects of UK101, a goat liver perchloric acid extract, is likely due to one of its constituent proteins: the 14 kDa protein named UK114. The cDNA encoding UK114, obtained by PCR methodologies, contains an open reading frame coding for a protein of 137 amino acids with a theoretical molecular mass of 14298 Da. It shows high sequence homology with a 14 kDa protein identified in human, rat and Mus musculus tissues which is likely involved in the inhibition of cell-free protein synthesis. Northern blot analysis indicated that the transcript is present in variable amounts in a wide range of human tissues. Genomic Southern blots revealed that the UK114 mRNA in goat as well as in human is encoded by a single gene, as is the case in rat. The expression system for UK114 was constructed under the control of the PL promoter from bacteriophage lambda and the cDNA coding region has been highly expressed in Escherichia coli as a thioredoxin fusion protein. The recombinant UK114, purified to homogeneity, is immunoreactive to rabbit antisera prepared against UK101 or native UK114, as well as to sera of UK101-treated cancer patients. It inhibits cell-free protein synthesis at 8 microM concentration.