Phospholipase A2, Group XII (PLA2G12)

The predicted 189-amino acid protein has a calculated molecular mass of 18.7 kD and contains a 22-residue signal sequence, 14 cysteines, a putative Ca(2+)-binding segment, and an 11-amino acid catalytic domain that includes 3 cys residues and an HD catalytic diad. It lacks consensus N-glycosylation sites. PLA2G12A is highly conserved among species, but its homology with other sPLA2s is limited to the active site region. Northern blot analysis detected a major 1.4-kb transcript that was abundant in heart, skeletal muscle, and kidney, with lower levels in brain, liver, small intestine, lung, and placenta. Little or no expression was present in colon, thymus, spleen, and blood leukocytes. RT-PCR showed a similar pattern and also revealed strong expression in pancreas and weak expression in ovary, testis, and prostate.