Glutaminase 2 (GLS2)

GA encodes a deduced 602-amino acid protein with a putative N-terminal mitochondrial import presequence. The GA protein shares 94% and 72% sequence identity with the rat liver and kidney glutaminase proteins, respectively. Using SDS-PAGE analysis, Gomez-Fabre et al. (2000) observed a purified fusion GA protein with an apparent molecular mass of 66 kD. Northern blot analysis detected a 2.4-kb GA transcript in human liver, brain, and pancreas, but not in kidney, heart, skeletal muscle, lung, or placenta. Based on expression data and sequence homology, Gomez-Fabre et al. (2000) concluded that human GA is most similar to the rat liver-type glutaminase isoform, but is not liver specific as previously predicted from expression data of the rat kidney- and liver-type isoforms.