Nucleic Acids Research, 2002, Vol. 30, No. 5 1169-1175
© 2002 Oxford University Press
RNase 8, a novel RNase A superfamily ribonuclease expressed uniquely in placenta
1Laboratory of Host Defenses, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA and 2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, MI 48109, USA
We report the identification and characterization of the gene encoding the eighth and final human ribonuclease (RNase) of the highly diversified RNase A superfamily. The RNase 8 gene is linked to seven other RNase A superfamily genes on chromosome 14. It is expressed prominently in the placenta, but is not detected in any other tissues examined. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that RNase 7 is the closest relative of RNase 8 and that the pair likely resulted from a recent gene duplication event in primates. Further analysis reveals that the RNase 8 gene has incorporated non-silent mutations at an elevated rate (1.3 x 10–9 substitutions/site/year) and that orthologous RNase 8 genes from 6 of 10 primate species examined have been deactivated by frameshifting deletions or point mutations at crucial structural or catalytic residues. The ribonucleolytic activity of recombinant human RNase 8 is among the lowest of members of this superfamily and it exhibits neither antiviral nor antibacterial activities characteristic of some other RNase A ribonucleases. The rapid evolution, species-limited deactivation and tissue-specific expression of RNase 8 suggest a unique physiological function and reiterates the evolutionary plasticity of the RNase A superfamily.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, 3003 Natural Sciences Building, 830 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Tel: +1 734 763 0527; Fax: +1 734 763 0544; Email: jianzhi{at}umich.edu
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  H. F. Rosenberg RNase A ribonucleases and host defense: an evolving story J. Leukoc. Biol., May 1, 2008; 83(5): 1079 - 1087. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Harder, R. Glaser, and J.-M. Schroder Review: Human antimicrobial proteins effectors of innate immunity Innate Immunity, December 1, 2007; 13(6): 317 - 338. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M.-a. I. Economopoulou, E. G. Fragoulis, and D. C. Sideris Molecular cloning and characterization of the human RNase {kappa}, an ortholog of Cc RNase Nucleic Acids Res., October 8, 2007; 35(19): 6389 - 6398. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Cho and J. Zhang Zebrafish Ribonucleases Are Bactericidal: Implications for the Origin of the Vertebrate RNase A Superfamily Mol. Biol. Evol., May 1, 2007; 24(5): 1259 - 1268. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Zhang Disulfide-Bond Reshuffling in the Evolution of an Ape Placental Ribonuclease Mol. Biol. Evol., February 1, 2007; 24(2): 505 - 512. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C.-F. Zhu, Q. Liu, L. Zhang, H.-X. Yuan, W. Zhen, J.-S. Zhang, Z.-J. Chen, S. H. Hall, F. S. French, and Y.-L. Zhang RNase9, an Androgen-Dependent Member of the RNase A Family, Is Specifically Expressed in the Rat Epididymis Biol Reprod, January 1, 2007; 76(1): 63 - 73. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. Rudolph, R. Podschun, H. Sahly, S. Schubert, J. M. Schroder, and J. Harder Identification of RNase 8 as a Novel Human Antimicrobial Protein. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., September 1, 2006; 50(9): 3194 - 3196. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T.-W. Pai, M. D.-T. Chang, W.-S. Tzou, B.-H. Su, P.-C. Wu, H.-T. Chang, and W.-I Chou REMUS: a tool for identification of unique peptide segments as epitopes. Nucleic Acids Res., July 1, 2006; 34(Web Server issue): W198 - W201. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. D. Dyer and H. F. Rosenberg The mouse RNase 4 and RNase 5/ang 1 locus utilizes dual promoters for tissue-specific expression Nucleic Acids Res., February 18, 2005; 33(3): 1077 - 1086. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Castella, S. Fouchecourt, A. P. Teixeira-Gomes, J. Vinh, M. Belghazi, F. Dacheux, and J.-L. Dacheux Identification of a Member of a New RNase A Family Specifically Secreted by Epididymal Caput Epithelium Biol Reprod, February 1, 2004; 70(2): 319 - 328. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. N. Rampias, D. C. Sideris, and E. G. Fragoulis Cc RNase: the Ceratitis capitata ortholog of a novel highly conserved protein family in metazoans Nucleic Acids Res., June 15, 2003; 31(12): 3092 - 3100. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Saida, M. Uzan, and F. Bontems The phage T4 restriction endoribonuclease RegB: a cyclizing enzyme that requires two histidines to be fully active Nucleic Acids Res., June 2, 2003; 31(11): 2751 - 2758. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Zhang, K. D. Dyer, and H. F. Rosenberg Human RNase 7: a new cationic ribonuclease of the RNase A superfamily Nucleic Acids Res., January 15, 2003; 31(2): 602 - 607. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Harder and J.-M. Schroder RNase 7, a Novel Innate Immune Defense Antimicrobial Protein of Healthy Human Skin J. Biol. Chem., November 22, 2002; 277(48): 46779 - 46784. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|