STRUCTURE AND MESSENGER-RNA EXPRESSION OF A BOVINE TRP HOMOLOG RELATED TO MAMMALIAN TRP2 TRANSCRIPTS

Mammalian homologues of the transient receptor potential (trp) gene pr oduct from Drosophila melanogaster function as Ca2+-selective or non-s elective cation channels. Complementary DNA was isolated from a bovine testis cDNA library which encodes bovine trp2 (btrp2), a protein of 4 32 amino acid residues comprising four predicted transmembrane segment s. Btrp2 mRNA is expressed in bovine testis, spleen and liver but not in brain, heart, adrenal gland or retina. In bovine testis expression of btrp2 mRNA is restricted to spermatocytes but is not present in spe rmatogonia, Leydig or Sertoli cells suggesting that btrp2 may contribu te to the formation of ion channels in sperm cells. (C) 1998 Federatio n of European Biochemical Societies.