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Rat Homologue (rat + homologue)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	50%
Life Sciences	25%
Chemistry	25%

Selected Abstracts

Cloning, Sequencing, and Functional Characterization of the Rat Homologue of Receptor Activator of NF-,B Ligand,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 11 2000
Jiake Xu
Abstract A complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding the rat homologue of receptor activator of NF-,B ligand/osteoprotegerin ligand/osteoclast differentiation factor/tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related activation-induced cytokine (RANKL/OPGL/ODF/TRANCE) was cloned and sequenced from tibias of ovariectomized (OVX) rats. The predicted amino acid sequence of rat RANKL (rRANKL) has 84% and 96% identity to that of human and mouse RANKL, respectively, and 35% and 37% similarity to that of human and mouse TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), respectively. RANKL transcripts were expressed abundantly in the thymus and bone tissues of OVX rats. rRANKL has a single hydrophobic region between residues 53 and 69, which is most likely to serve as a transmembrane domain. The long C-terminal region containing ,-sheet-forming sequences of the TNF-like core is considered the extracellular region. Three truncated domains within the TNF-like core region were expressed as glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins and investigated for their ability to induce osteoclastogenesis. The results showed that GST-rRANKL (aa160-318) containing the full TNF-like core region had the highest capability to induce the formation of osteoclast-like cells from RAW264.7 cells. GST-rRANKL (aa239-318 and aa160-268) had lesser degrees of osteoclast inductivity. Furthermore, the GST-rRANKL (aa160-318) is capable of (1) inducing osteoclast formation from rat spleen cells in the presence of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), (2) stimulating mature rat osteoclast polarization and bone resorption ex vivo, and (3) inducing systemic hypercalcemia in vivo; thus the full TNF-like core region of rRANKL is an important regulator of calcium homeostasis and osteoclastic function. [source]

Mutational activation of the MAP3K8 protooncogene in lung cancer

GENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 2 2004
Adam Michael Clark
The MAP3K8 protooncogene (Cot/Tpl-2) activates the MAP kinase, SAP kinase, and NF-,B signaling pathways. MAP3K8 mutations occur in the rat homologue, but activating mutations have yet to be identified in primary human tumors. We have identified MAP3K8 as a transforming gene from a human lung adenocarcinoma and characterized a 3, end mutation in the cDNA. In addition, we confirmed that the mutation occurs in the original lung tumor, and we screened a series of lung cancer cell lines to determine whether the MAP3K8 mutation is a common occurrence in lung tumorigenesis. The oncogene was isolated and identified with the NIH3T3 nude mouse tumorigenicity assay and cDNA library screening. The gene was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP), and 3,RACE for mutations. The mutation was localized to MAP3K8 exon 8 and confirmed in the primary tumor DNA. Both wild-type and mutant MAP3K8 cDNAs transformed NIH3T3 cells, but the transforming activity of the mutant was much greater than that of the wild type. PCR-SSCP screening of cell line cDNAs identified one silent polymorphism in cell line SK-LU-1. Although we were unable to find additional activating mutations, these data support a role for MAP3K8 activity in cellular transformation, but suggest that mutational activation of the gene is a rare event in lung cancer. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Cloning, Sequencing, and Functional Characterization of the Rat Homologue of Receptor Activator of NF-,B Ligand,

Restricted, but abundant, expression of the novel rat gene-3 (R3) relaxin in the dorsal tegmental region of brain

JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2002
Tanya C. D. Burazin
Abstract Relaxin is a peptide hormone with known actions associated with female reproductive physiology, but it has also been identified in the brain. Only one relaxin gene had been characterized in rodents until recently when a novel human relaxin gene, human gene-3 (H3) and its mouse equivalent (M3) were identified. The current study reports the identification of a rat homologue, rat gene-3 (R3) relaxin that is highly expressed in a discrete region of the adult brain. The full R3 relaxin cDNA was generated using RT-PCR and 3, and 5, RACE protocols. The derived amino acid sequence of R3 relaxin retains all the characteristic features of a relaxin peptide and has a high degree of homology with H3 and M3 relaxin. The distribution of R3 relaxin mRNA in adult rat brain was determined and highly abundant expression was only detected in neurons of the ventromedial dorsal tegmental nucleus (vmDTg) in the pons, whereas all other brain areas were unlabelled or contained much lower mRNA levels. Relaxin binding sites and relaxin immunoreactivity were also detected in the vmDTg. These together with earlier findings provide strong evidence for a role(s) for multiple relaxin peptides as neurotransmitters and/or modulators in the rat CNS. [source]

Expression, purification, refolding and crystallization of the carbohydrate-recognition domain of p58/ERGIC-53, an animal C-type lectin involved in export of glycoproteins from the endoplasmic reticulum

ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 3 2002
Lucas M. Velloso
p58/ERGIC-53 is a mammalian calcium-dependent lectin that serves as a glycoprotein-sorting receptor between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi complex. It is a type I transmembrane protein with two lumenal domains, one of which is a carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) and homologous to leguminous lectins. The CRD of p58, the rat homologue of human ERGIC-53, was overexpressed in insect cells and Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized using Li2SO4 as a precipitant. The crystals belong to space group I222, with unit-cell parameters a = 49.6, b = 86.1, c = 128.1,Å, and contain one molecule per asymmetric unit, corresponding to a packing density of 2.4,Å3,Da,1. Knowledge of the structure of p58/ERGIC-53 will provide a starting model for understanding receptor-mediated glycoprotein sorting between the ER and the Golgi. [source]

Renal carcinogenesis: Genotype, phenotype and dramatype

CANCER SCIENCE, Issue 2 2003
Okio Hino
Cancer is a heritable disorder of somatic cells. Environment and heredity are both important in the carcinogenic process. The Eker rat model of hereditary renal carcinoma (RC) is an example of a Mendelian dominantly inherited predisposition to a specific cancer in an experimental animal. Forty years after the discovery of the Eker rat in Oslo, we and Knudson's group independently identified a germline retrotransposon insertion in the rat homologue of the human tuberous sclerosis (TSC2) gene. To our knowledge, this was the first isolation of a Mendelian dominantly predisposing cancer gene in a naturally occurring animal model. Recently, we discovered a new hereditary renal carcinoma in the rat. This rat was named the "Ninon''rat and its predisposing (Nihon) gene could be a novel renal tumor suppressor gene. This article will review the utility of these unique models for the study of problems in carcinogenesis; e.g., species-specific differences in tumorigenesis, cell stage and tissue/cell-type specific tumorigene-sis, multistep carcinogenesis, modifier gene(s) in renal carcinogenesis, cancer prevention and the development of therapeutic treatments which can be translated to human patients, as well as how environmental factors interact with cancer susceptibility gene(s). (Cancer Sci 2003; 94: 142,147) [source]

A trans -acting factor, isolated by the three-hybrid system, that influences alternative splicing of the amyloid precursor protein minigene

FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 13 2000
Andrej Poleev
Two clones were isolated in a three-hybrid screen of a rat fetal brain P5 cDNA library with an intronic splicing enhancer of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene as RNA bait. These clones represent the rat homologues of the previously described genes CUG-binding protein (CUG-BP) and Siah-binding protein (Siah-BP). Both interact in a sequence-specific manner with the RNA bait used for library screening as well as with the CUG repeat. In contrast, no interactions were observed in the three-hybrid assay with other baits tested. In two-hybrid assays, Siah-BP interacts with U2AF65 as well as with itself. EWS, an RGG-type RNA-binding protein associated with Ewing sarcoma, was identified as an interacting partner for the CUG-BP homologue in a two-hybrid assay for protein,protein interactions performed with various factors involved in RNA metabolism. Splicing assays performed by RT-PCR from cells cotransfected with certain cDNAs and an APP minigene, used as a reporter, indicate exclusion of exon 8 if the CUG-BP homologue is present. We conclude that clone AF169013 and its counterpart in human CUG-BP could be the trans -acting factors that interact with the splicing enhancer downstream of exon 8, and in this way influence alternative splicing of the APP minigene. [source]

Bovine melanocortin receptor 4: cDNA sequence, polymorphisms and mapping

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 4 2001
A. Haegeman
A cDNA encoding the bovine melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) was cloned and sequenced. Comparing human, pig and rat homologues showed a 87, 85 and 89% identity on the DNA level, respectively, and over 90% on the protein level. The bovine MC4R gene was mapped to BTU 24 by radiation hybrid mapping. Two nucleotide changes were identified by single stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing. The substitutions proved to be a T to C and G (allele B) to A (allele A) resulting, respectively, in a conservative valine to alanine substitution (Val 145 Ala) and an alanine to threonine (Ala 172 Thr). Using PCR-RFLP, 13 different cattle breeds were screened for the presence of the Ala 172 Thr substitution. With the exception of one Red Pied animal, allele A could only be detected in Red Holstein animals. [source]