A calcineurin inhibitory protein overexpressed in Down's syndrome interacts with the product of a ubiquitously expressed transcript

Braz J Med Biol Res. 2004 Jun;37(6):785-9. doi: 10.1590/s0100-879x2004000600002. Epub 2004 May 27.

Abstract

The Down's syndrome candidate region 1 (DSCR1) protein, encoded by a gene located in the human chromosome 21, interacts with calcineurin and is overexpressed in Down's syndrome patients. As an approach to clarifying a putative function for this protein, in the present study we used the yeast two-hybrid system to identify DSCR1 partners. The two-hybrid system is a method that allows the identification of protein-protein interactions through reconstitution of the activity of the yeast GAL 4 transcriptional activator. The gene DSCR1 fused to the GAL 4 binding domain (BD) was used to screen a human fetal brain cDNA library cloned in fusion with the GAL 4 activation domain (AD). Three positive clones were found and sequence analysis revealed that all the plasmids coded for the ubiquitously expressed transcript (UXT). UXT, which is encoded in human Xp11, is a 157-amino acid protein present in both cytosol and nucleus of the cells. This positive interaction of DSCR1 and UXT was confirmed in vivo by mating the yeast strain AH109 (MATa) expressing AD-UXT with the strain Y187 (MATalpha) expressing BD-DSCR1, and in vitro by co-immunoprecipitation experiments. These results may help elucidate a new function for DSCR1 and its participation in Down's syndrome pathogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Calcineurin / physiology
  • Calcineurin Inhibitors*
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Down Syndrome / genetics
  • Down Syndrome / metabolism*
  • Electrophoresis, Agar Gel
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Muscle Proteins / genetics
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Interaction Mapping
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transcription Factors

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Calcineurin Inhibitors
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Muscle Proteins
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • RCAN1 protein, human
  • Transcription Factors
  • UXT protein, human
  • Calcineurin