抄録
Gonadotropic hormones induce ovarian genes to achieve ovarian follicular development. In this study gonadotropin inducible genes were identified by a subtractive hybridization method. Among several hundred genes characterized so far, we identified a clone encoding a novel gonadotropin inducible gene. Nucleotide sequence of the clone was determined and the predicted protein designated P52 was comprised of 387 amino acids with six transmembrane domains and it showed 79% identity with a human putative transporter protein and about 20% identity with bacterial and yeast aromatic amino acid transporter proteins, suggesting that P52 is a novel member of transporter proteins. Northern blot analysis revealed that gene expression of P52 was observed only in the liver and the ovary. The gene expression was induced by PMSG (pregnant mare serum gonadotropin) with a maximal levels at 6 hrs after the stimulation. In situ hybridization study revealed that P52 mRNA was predominantly expressed in the granulosa cells. These observations suggest that a novel putative transporter protein designated P52 may participate in the gonadotropin induced development of ovarian follicles.
