CLONING, SEQUENCE-ANALYSIS AND EXPRESSION OF THE GENE ENCODING THE MOUSE BRADYKININ B-2 RECEPTOR

The bradykinin B-2 receptor (B(2)R) mediates most of the biological ef fects of kinins. In the present study, we have cloned and sequenced th e gene (B(2)R) from a mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell genomic library. Mouse B(2)R is 7 kb in length containing three exons of 0.3, 0.23 and 3.7 kb separated by two introns of 2.5 and 0.41 kb. The first and seco nd exons are noncoding while the third exon contains the full-length c oding region and a long 3' noncoding region. An ATG translation start codon, TGA stop codon and a polyadenylation signal (AATAAA) were ident ified in the third exon. B(2)R encodes a protein of 41470 Da and 366 a mino acids (aa) forming seven transmembrane (TM) domains. At the aa le vel, B(2)R shares 91 and 82% sequence identity with the rat and human B(2)R, respectively. In the 5' flanking region, a consensus TATA box, a putative cAMP-response element, a putative phorbol ester-response el ement, a putative AP-1-binding site and a putative IL-6-response eleme nt were identified. Southern blot analysis following reverse transcrip tion and PCR showed that B(2)R is expressed in most mouse tissues, exc ept the liver and spleen, which is consistent with the wide distributi on of B(2)R activity as deduced from pharmacological studies.