A second thrombospondin gene in the mouse is similar in organization to thrombospondin 1 but does not respond to serum

Abstract

A second, expressed thrombospondin (TSP) gene, Thbs2, has been identified in the mouse. The exon/intron organization of Thbs2 is highly conserved in comparison with Thbs1 in that exon size and the pattern of interruption of the reading frame by introns are preserved, but there is a marked divergence in coding sequence, primarily in the first 7 exons. On the other hand, the DNA and translated amino acid sequences of exons coding for the type I, II, and III repeats in the two TSPs are far better conserved. Thbs2 is located on chromosome 17, band A3, whereas Thbs1 was found on chromosome 2, band F. In marked contrast to Thbs1, the Thbs2 gene is not induced by serum in NIH 3T3 cells; promoter sequences in the two genes are also very different. It is therefore likely that the two TSPs perform related but distinct functions.