IDENTIFICATION AND TISSUE EXPRESSION OF A SPLICE VARIANT FOR THE GROWTH ARREST-SPECIFIC GENE GAS6

The growth arrest-specific gene gas6 encodes a secreted protein (Gas6) which is a member of the vitamin K-dependent protein family and was i dentified as a ligand for the Ax1 tyrosine kinase receptor family. Gas 6 shares significant similarity with protein S and a similar domain or ganisation: an extensively gamma-carboxylated amino-terminal, four epi dermal growth factor-like motifs and a large carboxy-terminal region, known as the D domain. Here we report on the isolation of a splice var iant (gas6SV) characterised by an in-frame 129 bp insertion between th e fourth EGF domain and the D domain. The gene gas6 was previously map ped on chromosome 13. The genomic organisation of gas6 has been invest igated demonstrating the presence of alternative splicing consensus si tes. Expression of gas6SV has been investigated in various human tissu es and found to have a similar distribution pattern as gas6, with the exception of the spleen where gas6SV seems to be the predominant form. (C) 1997 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.