Ouabain-sensitive H,K-ATPase: tissue-specific expression of the mammalian genes encoding the catalytic alpha subunit.

Human ATP1AL1 and corresponding genes of other mammals encode the catalytic alpha subunit of a non-gastric ouabain-sensitive H,K-ATPases, the ion pump presumably involved in maintenance of potassium homeostasis. The tissue specificity of the expression of these genes in different species has not been analyzed in detail. Here we report comparative RT-PCR screening of mouse, rat, rabbit, human, and dog tissues. Significant expression levels were observed in the skin, kidney and distal colon of all species (with the exception of the human colon). Analysis of rat urogenital organs also revealed strong expression in coagulating and preputial glands. Relatively lower expression levels were detected in many other tissues including brain, placenta and lung. In rabbit brain the expression was found to be specific to choroid plexus and cortex. Prominent similarity of tissue-specific expression patterns indicates that animal and human non-gastric H,K-ATPases are indeed products of homologous genes. This is also consistent with the high sequence similarity of non-gastric H,K-ATPases (including partial sequences of hitherto unknown cDNAs for mouse and dog proteins).