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The connexin gene family in mammals

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Published/Copyright: July 5, 2005
Biological Chemistry
From the journal Volume 386 Issue 4

Abstract

Unannotated mammalian genome databases (dog, cow, opossum) were searched for candidate connexin genes, using sequences from annotated genomes (man, mouse). All 18 ‘multi-species’connexin genes, i.e., orthologs of connexin26, 29/31.3 (duplicated in opossum), 30, 30.2/31.9, 30.3, 31, 31.1, 32, 36, 37, 39/40.1, 40, 43, 45, 44/46, 47, 50, and 57/62, were found in dog, cow and opossum. Connexin25 and 58 have been considered specific for man, but evident orthologs of connexin25 were found in dog, cow and opossum, and orthologs of connexin58 were found in dog and cow. Moreover, a connexin43-like sequence (approx. 80% identical to connexin43) was found in man, chimpanzee, dog and cow. In the three former species, the sequences were located on the X chromosome. In man, chimpanzee and cow, there were stop codons in all reading frames; these sequences are therefore judged as pseudogenes, called here Cx43pX. In the dog, the sequence contained an open reading frame for a protein of 35.7 kDa (connexin35.7). We suggest that these sequences are orthologs of connexin33, previously considered as a rodent-specific connexin gene. Thus, connexin25, 33 and 58 are not species-specific genes. However, the opossum may possess a candidate, connexin39.2, without obvious orthologs in other mammals. Furthermore, pseudogenes of primate connexin31.3 and opossum connexin35 (one of the two orthologs of primate connexin31.3) were detected. These results suggest that the structure of the mammalian connexin gene family should be revised, especially with regard to the so-called ‘species-specific’connexins.

Keywords: connexin; gap junctions; genome databases; pseudogenes; species-specific genes
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Published Online: 2005-07-05
Published in Print: 2005-04-01

© by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York

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https://doi.org/10.1515/BC.2005.039
Keywords for this article
connexin; gap junctions; genome databases; pseudogenes; species-specific genes

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Supplementary material to the paper “The connexin gene family in mammals”
  2. Nicking activity on pBR322 DNA of ribosome inactivating proteins from Phytolacca dioica L. leaves
  3. Identification of three novel mutations in the dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase gene associated with altered pre-mRNA splicing or protein function
  4. The connexin gene family in mammals
  5. Hydrogen peroxide causes greater oxidation in cellular RNA than in DNA
  6. Homology modeling and SAR analysis of Schistosoma japonicum cathepsin D (SjCD) with statin inhibitors identify a unique active site steric barrier with potential for the design of specific inhibitors
  7. Interpretation of the reactivity of peroxidase compound II with phenols and anilines using the Marcus equation
  8. P. falciparum pro-histoaspartic protease (proHAP) protein peptides bind specifically to erythrocytes and inhibit the invasion process in vitro
  9. The snake venom metalloproteases berythractivase and jararhagin activate endothelial cells
  10. Visualisation of transforming growth factor-β1, tissue kallikrein, and kinin and transforming growth factor-β receptors on human clear-cell renal carcinoma cells
  11. cDNA cloning and heterologous expression of a wheat proteinase inhibitor of subtilisin and chymotrypsin (WSCI) that interferes with digestive enzymes of insect pests
  12. Proteolytic susceptibility of the serine protease inhibitor trappin-2 (pre-elafin): evidence for tryptase-mediated generation of elafin
  13. Labelling of four distinct trophozoite falcipains of Plasmodium falciparum by a cystatin-derived probe
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