Cloning of a third member of the D52 gene family indicates alternative coding sequence usage in D52-like transcripts

D52 proteins are emerging as signalling molecules which may be regulators of cell proliferation. Having previously reported the existence of the human D52 gene family, comprising the hD52 and hD53 genes expressed in human breast carcinoma, we report the identification of a novel human gene hD54 (TPD52L2), which represents a third D52 gene family member. In situ mapping placed the hD54 gene on human chromosome 20q13.2-q13.3, a localization distinct from those of both hD52 and hD53 genes. The identified hD54 cDNAs predicted three hD54 isoforms, suggesting that alternatively-spliced transcripts may be produced from D52-like genes. This was confirmed by directly sequencing reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) products amplified from D52-like gene transcripts expressed in developing and adult rat tissues, and by performing sequence analyses of the expressed sequence tag divisions of nucleotide databases. Alternative splicing of sequences encoding two regions, termed ins2 and ins3, was identified in one or more D52-like genes, with these alternative splicing events being differentially regulated. The functional consequences of alternative splicing were examined by characterizing the protein-protein interactions mediated by a truncated hD53 isoform within the yeast two-hybrid system. This hD53 isoform displayed altered interaction capabilities with respect to those of full-length hD53, suggesting that alternative splicing within the D52 gene family functions in part to alter the protein-protein interaction capabilities of encoded isoforms.