A 19-kDa protein belonging to a new family is expressed in the Golgi apparatus of neural cells.

The mouse 8.5 mRNA encodes a 171-residue novel protein which displays a highly significant similarity with the product of the previously characterized neuronal p1A75 cDNA (Sutcliffe, J.G., Milner, R.J., Shinnick, T.M., and Bloom, F.E. (1983) Cell 33, 671-682). Northern blot and in situ hybridization experiments indicated that the 8.5 mRNA is specifically expressed in neural and neuroendocrine tissues. An affinity-purified antibody directed against the recombinant 8.5 protein demonstrated the existence of the 19-kDa natural protein in brain and evidenced its prominent juxtanuclear Golgi-like localization in cultured neurons. Ultrastructural analysis of the same preparation revealed a specific labeling of all the Golgi saccules and of some vesicles in the Golgi zone. In transfected COS cells, the exogenous protein was also detected in the Golgi area, indicating, therefore, the presence of a Golgi targeting signal in its primary sequence.