The cDNA sequence and expression of the AAA-family peroxin genes pex-1 and pex-6 from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract We cloned cDNAs encoding two peroxins, PEX-1 and PEX-6, of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Peroxins are proteins that play essential roles in peroxisome biogenesis and are encoded by pex genes. Among the peroxins, PEX-1 and PEX-6 constitute the subfamily 2 of AAA (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) proteins. Each cDNA agreed well with the respective mRNA in size (3.4 kb for pex-1 and 2.3 kb for pex-6) and did not carry any spliced leader sequence. The pex-1 cDNA was composed of 24 exons, which were encoded by a genomic region containing three open reading frames (ORFs), c11h1.4, c11h1.5, and c11h1.6; the predicted ORF c11h1.5 was encompassed in the 15th intron. Although many exon-intron borders in pex-1 were inconsistent with those predicted for c11h1.4 and c11h1.6, those in pex-6 coincided with those for the ORF f39g3.7. The pex-1 and pex-6 genes encoded proteins with 996 and 720 amino acid residues, respectively. Both pex-1 mRNA and pex-6 mRNA were detectable mainly in in...