ISOLATION OF CDNA-ENCODING A NOVEL HUMAN CC-CHEMOKINE NCC-4 LEC/

We have determined the entire sequence of human cDNA encoding a novel CC chemokine NCC-4 by 5' and 3' RACE methods. Two types of transcripts , 579 bp and 1503 bp long, respectively, are generated through alterna tive polyadenylation sites. Both species contain an open reading frame encoding 120 amino acids with 19-38% identity to other human CC chemo kines. The short and long transcripts are expressed highly selectively in the liver at nearly equivalent levels. There seems to be one copy of the gene per haploid genome. We now designate NCC-4 as LEC from liv er-expressed chemokine. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.