Identification of an orphan guanylate cyclase receptor selectively expressed in mouse testis.

We have identified a novel membrane form of guanylate cyclase (GC) from a mouse testis cDNA library and termed it mGC-G (mouse GC-G) based on its high sequence homology to rat GC-G. It encodes a potential type I transmembrane receptor, with the characteristic domain structure common to all members of the family of membrane GCs, including an extracellular, putative ligand-binding domain, a single membrane-spanning segment and cytoplasmic protein kinase-like and cyclase catalytic domains. Real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase--PCR and Northern-blot analyses showed that mGC-G is highly and selectively expressed in mouse testis. Phylogenetic analysis based on the extracellular protein sequence revealed that mGC-G is closely related to members of the subfamily of natriuretic peptide receptor GCs. When overexpressed in HEK-293T cells (human embryonic kidney 293T cells) or COS-7 cells, mGC-G manifests as a membrane-bound glycoprotein, which can form either homomeric or heteromeric complexes with the natriuretic peptide receptor GC-A. It exhibits marked cGMP-generating GC activity; however, notably, all ligands known to activate other receptor GCs failed to stimulate enzymic activity. The unique testis-enriched expression of mGC-G, which is completely different from the broader tissue distribution of rat GC-G, suggests the existence of as-yet-unidentified ligands and unappreciated species-specific physiological functions mediated through mGC-G/cGMP signalling in the testis.

A novel interleukin-17 receptor-like protein identified in human umbilical vein endothelial cells antagonizes basic fibroblast growth factor-induced signaling.

We have previously utilized a combination of high throughput sequencing and genome-wide microarray profiling analyses to identify novel cell-surface proteins expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. One gene identified by this approach encodes a type I transmembrane receptor that shares sequence homology with the intracellular domain of members of the interleukin-17 (IL-17) receptor family. Real-time quantitative PCR and Northern analyses revealed that this gene is highly expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and in several highly vascularized tissues such as kidney, colon, skeletal muscle, heart, and small intestine. In addition, we also found that it is also highly expressed in the ductal epithelial cells of human salivary glands, seminal vesicles, and the collecting tubules of the kidney by in situ hybridization. This putative receptor, which we have termed human SEF (hSEF), is also expressed in a variety of breast cancer tissues. In co-immunoprecipitation assays, this receptor is capable of forming homomeric complexes and can interact with fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor 1. Overexpression of this receptor inhibits FGF induction of an FGF-responsive reporter gene in human 293T cells. This appears to occur as a result of specific inhibition of p42/p44 ERK in the absence of upstream MEK inhibition. This inhibitory effect is dependent upon a functional intracellular domain since deletion mutants missing the IL-17 receptor-like domain lack this inhibitory effect. These findings are consistent with the recent discovery of the zebrafish homologue, Sef (similar expression to fgf genes), which specifically antagonizes FGF signaling when ectopically expressed in zebrafish or Xenopus laevis embryos. Based on sequence and functional similarities, this novel IL-17 receptor homologue represents a potential human SEF and is likely to play critical roles in endothelial or epithelial functions such as proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis.

Identification of a novel family of cell-surface proteins expressed in human vascular endothelium.

Vascular endothelial cells (EC) play a key role in a variety of pathophysiologic processes, such as angiogenesis, inflammation, cancer metastasis, and vascular diseases. As part of a strategy to identify all genes expressed in human EC, a full-length cDNA encoding a potential secreted protein harboring 10 epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains and one CUB domain at the carboxyl terminus (termed, SCUBE1 for Signal peptide-CUB-EGF-like domain containing protein 1) was identified. SCUBE1 shares homology with several protein families, including members of the fibrillin and Notch families, and the anticoagulant proteins, thrombomodulin and protein C. SCUBE1 mRNA is found in several highly vascularized tissues such as liver, kidney, lung, spleen, and brain and is selectively expressed in EC by in situ hybridization. SCUBE1 is a secreted glycoprotein that can form oligomers and manifests a stable association with the cell surface. A second gene encoding a homologue (designated SCUBE2) was also identified and is expressed in EC as well as other cell types. SCUBE2 is also a cell-surface protein and can form a heteromeric complex with SCUBE1. Both SCUBE1 and SCUBE2 are rapidly down-regulated in EC after interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha treatment in vitro and after lipopolysaccharide injection in vivo. Thus, SCUBE1 and SCUBE2 define an emerging family of human secreted proteins that are expressed in vascular endothelium and may play important roles in development, inflammation, and thrombosis.