Novel gene exon homologous to pancreatic phospholipase A2: sequence and chromosomal mapping of both human genes.

We described previously the cloning and DNA sequence of the human gene encoding pancreatic phospholipase A2 [DNA 5, 519]. When pancreatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) cDNA was used to screen a human genomic library, two classes of clones were obtained. One class encoded the pancreatic enzyme, and a second class encoded one exon of an apparently related PLA2. No additional PLA2 gene exons displayed sufficient homology to be detected by the probe. A homologous sequence in both rat and porcine genomic DNA was detected by DNA blot hybridization, and the corresponding gene fragments were cloned and sequenced. Within the deduced amino acid sequences, the presence of known functional residues along with the high degree of interspecies conservation suggests the genes encode a functional PLA2 enzyme form. The encoded sequence lacks Cys11, as do the "type II" viperid venom and other nonpancreatic mammalian PLA2 enzymes. The sequence is distinct from porcine intestinal PLA2 and appears not to be a direct homolog of the recently published rabbit ascites and rat platelet enzymes. Hybridization of DNA probes containing sequences from these genes to genomic DNA blots of mouse/human somatic cell hybrids permitted chromosomal assignment for both. The pancreatic gene mapped to human chromosome 12, and the homologous gene mapped to chromosome 1.