Characterisation of the human plunc gene, a gene product with an upper airways and nasopharyngeal restricted expression pattern

Here we report the cloning and characterization of the human homologue of p lunc, a murine gene expressed specifically in the upper airways and nasopha ryngeal regions. The human plunc cDNA codes for a leucine-rich protein of 2 56 amino acids which is 72% identical to the murine protein. RNA blot analy sis suggests that expression of plunc is restricted to the trachea, upper a irway, nasopharyngeal epithelium and salivary gland. The human plunc gene c ontains nine exons and is localised to chromosome 20q11.2. The unique expre ssion pattern of the human plunc suggest that it may prove a useful model g ene with which to study the regulatory mechanisms which direct expression o f genes specifically to the upper airways. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.