Identification and characterization of human PMP34, a protein closely related to the peroxisomal integral membrane protein PMP47 of Candida boidinii

The cDNA of a human protein displaying 33% identity to the peroxisomal integral membrane protein PMP47 of Candida boidinii (CbPMP47) was cloned. It encodes a protein of 307 amino acids, with a calculated molecular mass of 34 566 Da. The protein, which we name HsPMP34, contains six membrane spans and belongs, like PMP47, to the family of mitochondrial solute carriers. Based on overlapping available expressed sequence tags (ESTs) combined with the sequencing of one EST, the amino acid sequence of the mouse counterpart (molecular mass of 34 422 Da) could also be deduced. By means of reverse-transcription PCR, the presence of PMP34 mRNA was revealed in liver of man and in liver and other tissues of mouse and rat. The human gene is localized to chromosome 22q13. Given the similarity of HsPMP34 not only to CbPMP47 but also to known or putative mitochondrial transporters, its subcellular localization was investigated. Fluorescence microscopy of HepG2 cells or mouse fibroblasts transfected with a plasmid encoding a HsPMPS4/green fluorescent fusion protein revealed a punctate pattern, reminiscent of a peroxisomal distribution. By indirect immunofluorescence, the HsPMP34/green fluorescent fusion protein clearly colocalized with the dimeric peroxisomal thiolase. Upon transfection of mouse fibroblasts lacking functional peroxisomes due the knock-out of PEX5 [Baes, M., Gressens, P., Baumgart, E., Carmeliet, P., Casteels, M., Fransen, M., Evrard, P., Fahimi, D., Declercq, P. E., Collen, D., Van Veldhoven, P. P. & Mannaerts, G. P. (1997) Nat. Genet. 17, 49-53], fluorescence was associated with larger and less-abundant structures. Taken together, the data indicate that HsPMP34 is a peroxisomal membrane protein and is either the human counterpart of CbPMP47 or closely related to it. According to its structure, the protein is most probably involved in transport.