Molecular cloning of rat phosphoprotein phosphatase 2A beta cDNA and increased expressions of phosphatase 2A alpha and 2A beta in rat liver tumors.

A cDNA clone coding for an isotype of the catalytic subunit of rat phosphoprotein phosphatase 2A was isolated. The deduced amino acid sequence of the clone was different at 8 positions from that of rat phosphatase 2A alpha determined in a previous study. The deduced amino acid sequence of the clone was, however, identical to that of human phosphatase 2A beta and differed only at one position from that of rabbit 2A beta. Thus, the isolated cDNA was identified as a clone coding for rat phosphatase 2A beta. Using a 2A beta specific probe, two kinds of transcripts were detected in rat liver: a major 2.0 kb mRNA transcript and a minor 1.4 kb mRNA transcript. These transcripts were both greatly increased in rat liver tumors induced by 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) regardless of the carcinoma or hyperplastic nodule.