UDP Glucuronosyltransferase 2 Family, Polypeptide B2 (UGT2B2)

The UDP glucuronosyltransferase gene UGT2B2 is constitutively expressed in rat liver, and the enzyme has been shown to conjugate glucuronic acid with various endogenous steroids, especially etiocholanolone and androsterone. UGT2B2 full-length cDNA is 1,974 bp. Northern hybridization revealed that the hepatic UGT2B2 transcript is detectable 4 days before birth, becomes markedly elevated in the neonate, and is even further increased at 3 and 12 weeks of age in the liver of both male and female rats. Rat androsterone UDP-glucuronosyltransferase gene (UGT2B2) was regionally assigned to chromosome band 14p21.2-p22 by fluorescence in situ hybridization using a biotinylated cDNA (1.8-kb insert) probe. The present mapping is the first report on the precise localization of the rat UGT2B2 on high resolution banded metaphase chromosomes.