Blouin R, Beaudoin J, Bergeron P, Nadeau A, Grondin G
Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
DNA Cell Biol. 1996 Aug;15(8):631-42. doi: 10.1089/dna.1996.15.631.
ZPK is a recently identified human putative protein kinase gene that encodes an unusual serine/threonine kinase containing two potential leucine zipper motifs similar to those found in transcription factors as well as in members of the newly discovered mixed-lineage family of protein kinases. To study the normal biological function of ZPK, we have isolated a mouse ZPK cDNA and examined the pattern of ZPK mRNA expression in adult mouse tissues by Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses. The predicted open reading frame of this cDNA encodes an 888-amino-acid protein that shares 95% overall identity with its human counterpart. By Northern blot analysis, we detected expression of ZPK mRNA in the brain of adult mice, but not in any other tissue tested. In situ hybridization analysis of mouse brain sections revealed specific association of ZPK mRNA with neuronal cell populations, primarily in the hippocampus, the cerebral cortex, and the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum. Interestingly, a remarkable pattern of cell-type-specific expression was also found in the epithelial compartment of various organ systems, including stomach, small intestine, liver, and pancreas, as well as in the seminiferous tubules of mature testes. Taken together, these observations suggest that ZPK could play a role in development, function, and maintenance of a variety of specialized cells.
ZPK是最近鉴定出的一种人类假定蛋白激酶基因，它编码一种不寻常的丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶，该激酶含有两个潜在的亮氨酸拉链基序，类似于在转录因子以及新发现的混合谱系蛋白激酶家族成员中发现的基序。为了研究ZPK的正常生物学功能，我们分离了小鼠ZPK cDNA，并通过Northern印迹和原位杂交分析检测了成年小鼠组织中ZPK mRNA的表达模式。该cDNA预测的开放阅读框编码一个888个氨基酸的蛋白质，与人类对应物的总体一致性为95%。通过Northern印迹分析，我们在成年小鼠的脑中检测到ZPK mRNA的表达，但在任何其他测试组织中均未检测到。对小鼠脑切片的原位杂交分析显示，ZPK mRNA主要在海马体、大脑皮层和小脑浦肯野细胞层与神经元细胞群体有特异性关联。有趣的是，在包括胃、小肠、肝脏和胰腺在内的各种器官系统的上皮区室以及成熟睾丸的生精小管中也发现了明显的细胞类型特异性表达模式。综上所述，这些观察结果表明ZPK可能在多种特化细胞的发育、功能和维持中发挥作用。
