Molecular Cloning of Prohormone Convertase 1 from the Atrial Gland ofAplysia

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Abstract
We have screened an Aplysia atrial gland cDNA library using a prohormone convertase (PC)1 probe prepared by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and have isolated an Aplysia PC1-related full-length 3.6-kb cDNA clone. The cDNA sequence (3,565 bp) encoded a putative preproendoprotease (APC1) of 703 amino acid residues that showed considerable sequence identity with other eukaryotic PC1s, and indicated a high degree of sequence identity with an Aplysia nervous system PC sequence (aPC1B). Northern blot analysis of atrial gland RNA identified two APC1 transcripts of 3.9 kb and 5.0 kb. APC1 is a candidate PC that may play an important role in the processing of egg-laying hormone (ELH)-related precursors in atrial gland secretory cells and represents one of the first examples of PC1 expression in an exocrine tissue.