MOLECULAR-CLONING AND EXPRESSION ANALYSIS OF THE HUMAN RAB7 GTP-ASE COMPLEMENTARY DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC-ACID

Rab7 is a small GTP-ase localized on late endosomes, which regulates l ate endocytic membrane traffic in mammalian cells. Moreover it has bee n shown that this protein has a fundamental role in the cellular vacuo lation induced by the cytotoxin VacA of Helicobacter pylori. We report here for the first time the isolation of a cDNA encoding human Rab7 f rom a placenta cDNA library. The open reading frame for human Rab7 enc odes a protein of 207 amino acids which exhibits high homology with th e mouse, rat, and dog counterparts. Northern blot analysis of total RN As isolated from different cell lines with a cDNA probe containing the entire open reading frame revealed two mRNA transcripts of 2.5 and 1. 8 kilobases. The isolation of human Rab7 cDNA will allow further chara cterization of its function in normal and pathological states. (C) 199 6 Academic Press.