Cloning and characterization of a rabbit ortholog of human G alpha 16 and mouse G alpha 15

A cDNA was cloned from a rabbit spleen cDNA library which encoded a G-prote in alpha subunit peptide of 374 amino acids, that at the peptide level exhi bited 86% and 79% identity with human G alpha 16 and mouse G alpha 15, resp ectively. The rabbit G alpha subunit cDNA was subcloned into a mammalian ex pression vector and transiently co-transfected into HEK-293 cells along wit h cDNAs encoding the human C3a, C5a, or nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptors, I n all three cases the rabbit G alpha subunit behaved similarly to G alpha 1 5 or G alpha 16 and effectively coupled the transfected receptors to intrac ellular calcium mobilization pathways. By nucleotide sequence homology and functional activity the rabbit G alpha subunit appears to be the ortholog o f human G alpha 16 and mouse G alpha 15. (C) 1999 Federation of European Bi ochemical Societies.