A cDNA fragment participating in the maintenance of smooth muscle differentiation
was isolated using a culture system of chicken gizzard smooth muscle cells, the
differential display method and the subtracted hybridization method. Using the
obtained cDNA sequence as a query, cDNA sequences of Helix Research Institute (Japanese
Patent Application No. 2000-118776) were retrieved, and thus, a novel gene "C-NT2RP3001495"
was obtained. The protein encoded by this gene has two WW domains that participate
in protein interactions in the N-terminal domain. Evidence suggests that this protein
binds to other proteins, and thus regulates the intracellular signal transduction,
gene expression, and so on, thereby participating in the maintenance of the differentiation
of smooth muscle cells. This protein and compounds regulating the expression thereof
are markedly useful in developing drugs for various diseases associated with abnormality
in the maintenance of smooth muscle cell differentiation.
