GTT1/StarD7, a novel phosphatidylcholine transfer protein-like highly expressed in gestational trophoblastic tumour: cloning and characterization

DURAND SANDRA; ANGELETTI SOFÍA; GENTI-RAIMONDI SUSANA

PLACENTA

W B Saunders

Lugar: England; Año: 2004 vol. 25 p. 37 - 37

0143-4004

p class="abstract">We report the cDNA cloning and characterization of GTT1/StarD7, a novel gestational trophoblastic tumour gene, initially identified by its up-regulated expression in the choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cell line with respect to their nonmalignant counterpart, complete hydatidiform mole and normal trophoblastic tissue. Using the differential display fragment as a probe we screened placenta and HeLa cDNA libraries and isolated a clone carrying a 3315 bp insert (accession number AF270647). This cDNA encodes a protein of 295 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of approximately 34.7 kDa and a pI of 5.79. Computer-mediated homology search revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence had similarity to phosphatidylcholine transfer protein (PCTP) with a conserved StAR-related lipid transfer (START) domain extending between the amino acids 66 to 250. The GTT1 gene contains at least 9 exons spread nearly 30 kb on chromosome 2p12-2p11.2. Northern blot assays of total RNA derived