International Mammalian Genome Society

17th International Mouse Genome Conference

9-12 November 2003, Braunschweig, Germany

Plenary Presentations * Oral Presentations *
Poster Presentations: Behavioural Genetics and Genomics * Development and Stem Cells * Functional Genome Analysis * Mouse Models of Human Disease * Mouse System Biology Bioinformatics * Multigenic and Multifactorial Trait Analysis * Nutrition and Metabolic Disease * Phenotyping Methods Imaging * The Genetics and Genomics of Infectious Disease *
Verne Chapman Memorial Lecture * Table of Contents * Sponsor/Exhibitor List * Awards * Photographs

---

POSTER 20 - MEMBERS OF A NOVEL GENE FAMILY GSDM ARE EXPRESSED IN EPITHELIUM OF GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT AND SKIN

Tamura M
Natl. Inst. Genet.Grad. Univ.

Co-Authors: 2) Fujii T, 2) Tanaka S, 3) Aoki A, 2) Shiroishi T
Institutions: 2) Advanced Studies, Natl. Inst. Genet.3) Natl. Inst. Genet., Juntendo Univ.

We report a novel gene family, named Gasdermin (Gsdm), which is composed of seven genes, Gsdm A-1, A-2, A-3, C-1, C-2, C-3 and GsdmD, in the mouse. GsdmA-3 was originally identified as a causative gene for the two mouse mutantations, Rim3 and Re ^den, which exhibit epidermal hyperplasia (Tanaka et. al., in this conference). GsdmA and GsdmC genes form a cluster in the mouse chromosome 11 and 15, respectively, and GsdmD was mapped to mouse chromosome 15. Comparison of amino acids sequences revealed that members of the Gsdm family share similar sequences in the N- and C-terminus. Especially, in the C-terminus, all members of the Gsdm family share a well-conserved novel leucine-rich motif.

Gsdm family genes were expressed mainly in the gastrointestinal tissues, and some of genes were in the skin. Expression of GsdmC-2, -3 and GsdmD were observed in the small intestine and colon, but not in upper gastric tract. By contraries, GsdmA-1 and GsdmA-2 were expressed in the upper gastric tract, but not in small intestine and colon. More detailed analysis of the upper gastric tract revealed that expression of GsdmA-1 is specific to the squamous epithelium (esophagus and fore stomach) and that of GsdmA-2 was in the glandular epithelium (glandular stomach).

In-depth characterization of mouse mutants, Rim3 and Re^den, and analysis of the gene expression patterns suggested that the members of the Gsdm family are involved in regulation of proliferation and differentiation of the epithelial cells in a tissue specific manner.