The sequence of an adrenal specific human cDNA, pG2.

We previously reported the isolation of a cDNA clone, pG2, from a human pheochromocytoma, a tumor of mature adrenal chromaffin cells. Expression of the mRNA recognized by pG2 is induced by glucocorticoids. This clone recognizes a mRNA of 1.6 kb in both adult adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla, but is not expressed in neuroblastoma; an embryonal tumor of the adrenal medulla (1). In situ hybridization studies have demonstrated that pG2 expression is developmentally regulated. Expression of pG2 is initially seen in the developing human adrenal medulla at 20 weeks gestation and reaches adult levels by 24 weeks gestation (2). We have now isolated a full length cDNA from a human adrenal cDNA library. The clone contains 1557 bp insert and a poly A tail of 73 bp that corresponds closely in size to the 1.6 kb mRNA recognized by pG2. The nucleotide sequence is not homologous to any previously reported sequences. The predicted protein encoded by pG2 contains 286 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of approximately 30,600 daltons.