Guanine Nucleotide Binding Protein Like Protein 2 (GNL2)

By screening a primary ductal breast carcinoma cDNA expression library with autologous patient serum, followed by 5-prime and 3-prime RACE, Racevskis et al. (1996) cloned GNL2, which they called NGP1. The deduced 731-amino acid protein has a calculated molecular mass of 83.7 kD. GNL2 contains 3 GTP-binding protein motifs, 2 potential N-glycosylation sites, and a nuclear localization signal. Northern blot analysis detected a transcript of 2.3 kb highly expressed in testis, followed by skeletal muscle. All other normal tissues and breast tumors examined showed lower expression. Immunohistochemical analysis localized NGP1 to the nucleolus and nucleolar organizer region of all cell types analyzed. Southern blot analysis indicated that NGP1 is conserved in chicken and all mammalian species tested.