Cloning of Xenopus laevis TRPV2 by Gene Prediction.

Lee,  Jung Youn; Shim,  Won Sik; Oh,  Uhtaek

Genomics Inform > Volume 3(1); 2005 > Article

Original Article

Genomics & Informatics 2005;3(1): 24-29.

Cloning of Xenopus laevis TRPV2 by Gene Prediction.

Jung Youn Lee, Won Sik Shim, Uhtaek Oh

Sensory Research Center, Seoul National University, San 56-1, Shillim-9-Dong, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul 151-742, Korea.

Abstract

TRPV2 is a non-specific cation channel expressed in sensory neurons, and activated by noxious heat. Particularly, TRPV2 has six transmembrane domains and three ankyrin repeats. TRPV2 has been cloned from various species such as human, rat, and mouse. Oocytes of Xenopus laevis - an African clawed frog - have been widely used for decades in characterization of various receptors and ion channels. The functional property of rat TRPV2 was also identified by this oocyte expression system. However, no TRPV2 orthologue of Xenopus laevis has been reported so far. Hence, we have focused to clone a TRPV2 orthologue of Xenopus laevis with the aid of bioinformatic tools. Because the genome sequence of Xenopus laevis is not available until now, a genome sequence of Xenopus tropicalis - a close relative species of Xenopus laevis - was used. After a number of bioinformatic searches in silico, a predicted full-length sequence of TRPV2 orthologue of Xenopus tropicalis was found. Based on this predicted sequence, various approaches such as RT-PCR and 5'-RACE technique were applied to clone a full length of Xenopus laevis TRV2. Consequently, a full-length Xenopus laevis TRPV2 was cloned from heart cDNA.