Glutathione S Transferase Alpha 3 (GSTa3)

By searching a genomic sequence database with the GSTA1 and GSTA4 sequences, Morel et al. (2002) identified 1 BAC and 3 PAC clones covering more than 400 kb and containing the entire GST-alpha gene cluster. The cluster consists of 5 genes, GSTA1, GSTA2, GSTA3, GSTA4, and GSTA5, as well as 7 pseudogenes. The deduced GSTA3 protein contains 222 amino acids. By RT-PCR using gene-specific probes, Morel et al. (2002) demonstrated that GSTA1, GSTA2, and GSTA4 transcripts are widely expressed in human tissues, whereas the GSTA3 transcript appears to be a rare message subject to splicing defects. Although GSTA5 appears to be a functional gene, expression of GSTA5 could not be detected in any tissues examined.