cDNA Cloning, Expression Analysis, and Chromosomal Localization of a Gene with High Homology to Wheat eIF-(iso)4F and Mammalian eIF-4G

A novel mammalian gene,Eif4g2,with a high degree of homology to the p82 subunit of the wheat germ eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF-(iso)4F and mammalian eIF-4G has been isolated. Zoo blot analysis indicates thatEif4g2is a single-copy gene that is highly conserved among vertebrates. Northern blot analysis shows thatEif4g2is ubiquitously expressed at high levels in all human and mouse tissues examined. The 3810-nucleotideEif4g2cDNA contains a 907-amino-acid open reading frame that codes for a polypeptide with a predicted molecular mass of 102 kDa. TheEif4g2polypeptide exhibits an overall similarity to wheat p82 of 52%. A 248-amino-acid segment at the amino-terminal end of both peptides exhibits 63% similarity and contains conserved potential RNA binding domains and a phosphorylation site. TheEif4g2polypeptide contains multiple potential N-linked glycosylation sites as well as protein kinase C and casein kinase II phosphorylation sites. Southern blot analysis of DNA from interspecific backcross mice shows thatEif4g2is localized to distal mouse chromosome 7 in a region syntenic with human chromosome 11p15.