Neural Precursor Cell Expressed, Developmentally Down Regulated 4 Like Protein (NEDD4L)

The full-length cDNA sequence of 3,246 bp, obtained by RACE, contains an open reading frame of 2,562 nucleotides. The deduced 854-amino acid polypeptide was predicted to contain 4 WW domains and an HECT ubiquitin-protein ligase domain, highly conserved features in the NEDD4 gene family. The NEDD4L gene has 97% and 62% amino acid sequence identity to mouse Nedd4-2 and human NEDD4 genes, respectively. By expression analysis, a 3.4-kb band was observed in heart and muscle, while a 3.2-kb band and/or an additional 3.6-kb band were seen in other tissues examined. An alternative splicing event involving exon 12 of 60 bp was observed, the shorter allele being predominantly present in brain and lymphocytes, while the longer allele was strongly expressed in kidney and placenta.