Control region and gastric specific transcription of the rat H+,K(+)-ATPase alpha subunit gene.

The rat gastric H+,K(+)-ATPase alpha subunit gene was cloned and the nucleotide sequence of its 5'-upstream region was determined. Sequence comparison with the corresponding part of the human gene indicated the presence of highly conserved regions which may be important for specific transcription of the alpha subunit in gastric parietal cells. The amino-terminal sequence (Met-Gly-Lys-Ala-Glu-) of the rat enzyme was similar to those of the pig and human enzymes. The gene organization of the rat enzyme was also similar to that of the human gene: introns 1, 2 and 9 were located in exactly the same positions as those in the human gene, and, as in the latter, exon 6 was not separated by an intron. The sequences of introns 1 and 2 were highly conserved among the rat, human and pig genes, but were entirely different from those of Na+,K(+)-ATPase catalytic subunit genes. Northern blot hybridization indicated that the gene was transcribed only in gastric mucosa.