Olfactomedin 3 (OLFM3)

Torrado et al. (2002) isolated a cDNA encoding Olfm3, which they termed optimedin, from a rat eye angle cDNA library. By database analysis, they identified human OLFM3, and by screening a mouse genomic BAC library, they isolated mouse Olfm3. They identified 2 main Olfm3 splice variants in rodents, optimedin A and optimedin B, which encode proteins of 458 and 478 amino acids, respectively, that differ in their N termini. Mouse and rat optimedins share 99% amino acid identity with human optimedin. Northern blot analysis detected rat optimedin expression in eye angle tissues, retina, and brain, with lower expression in lens. RT-PCR analysis showed that optimedin A was preferentially expressed in adult rat retina and brain, while optimedin B was expressed in rat eye angle.