Abstract
Members of the steroid-thyroid-retinoid receptor superfamily regulate a spectrum of cellular functions, including metabolism and growth and differentiation. We sought to isolate novel members of this family by using degenerate oligonucleotide primers directed to sequences encoding the AF-2 domain of these molecules in a PCR-based approach. The AF-2 domain serves a critical function in recruiting coregulatory molecules and in transcriptional activation. We report the cloning and initial characterization of a novel gene, WDR10, which encodes a 140-kD protein that is highly expressed in pituitary and testis. This protein, WDR10p, contains an AF-2 domain as well as seven N-terminal WD repeats and is highly conserved through evolution. Chromosomal localization studies placed WDR10 at 3q21, near a locus for the Moebius syndrome, Hailey-Hailey disease, and rhodopsin, which is involved in several forms of retinitis pigmentosa. The expression pattern of WDR10 and its chromosomal location makes this novel gene a candidate gene for the hypogonadism associated with some forms of retinitis pigmentosa and the Moebius syndrome.
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