Cloning of rat calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand

Rat calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand (CAML) cDNA was cloned and sequen ced. It has a predicted open reading frame of 294 amino acids. The CAML gen e is highly conserved throughout species, showing 85, 89 and 69% amino acid sequence identity to the human, mouse, and chicken genes, respectively. Ge ne expression data using astrocytes, microglia and neurons show that CAML m RNA and protein is constitutively expressed in these cell types of the cent ral nervous system. The cloning of rat CAML will facilitate further investi gations on the function of this molecule.