OSER1


OSER1 , or Chromosome 20 open reading frame 111, C20orf111, is the hypothetical protein that in humans is encoded by the OSER1 gene. OSER1/C20orf111 is also known as Perit1, HSPC207, and dJ1183I21.1. It was originally located using genomic sequencing of chromosome 20. The National Center for Biotechnology Information, or NCBI, shows that it is located at q13.11 on chromosome 20, however the genome browser at the University of California-Santa Cruz website shows that it is at location q13.12, and within a million base pairs of the adenosine deaminase locus. It was also found to have an increase in expression in cells undergoing hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis. After analyzing the amino acid content of OSER1, it was found to be rich in serine residues.

Gene

OSER1 a valid, protein coding gene that is found on the minus strand of chromosome 20 at q13.12 by searching the UCSC Genome Browser, but q13.11 according to Refseq on NCBI.

Gene neighborhood

A few of the known genes near OSER1 are given in the box below with their known function.
GeneChromosomal LocationStrandFunction
20q13.12MinusHelp facilitate the assembly of DHPR with other proteins of the excitation-contraction coupling machinery. Loss of function leads to cardiac-specific JPH2 deficiency and results in lower cardiac contractility
20q13.12PlusShown to play a large role in transcription activation
20q13.12MinusEncodes an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of adenosine to inosine. Deficiency in this enzyme causes a form of severe combined immunodeficiency disease, in which there is dysfunction of both B and T lymphocytes with impaired cellular immunity and decreased production of immunoglobulins.

Transcript

General properties

Transcript variants

10 splice isoforms that encode good proteins, altogether 8 different isoforms, 2 of which are complete isoforms. The image below shows the 10 isoforms that are predicted. Of these 10 splice isoforms, 8 have varying peptide lengths, however all of these proteins are only hypothetical with no extensive research done on them.

Transcription regulation

When looking at the predicted promoter sequence, there are no RNA Polymerase II binding sites, however there is a binding site for core promoter element for TATA-less promoters. In this same region of the promoter, there is also a TATA-binding factor sequence, which helps in the positioning of RNA polymerase II for transcription.

Protein

General properties

Function

The function of OSER1 is not well understood by the scientific community in general. It does contain a domain of unknown function, DUF776, which has a large segment that is well conserved from Caenorhabditis elegans to humans. Its expression is increased in rat cardiomyocytes undergoing hydrogen peroxide induced apoptosis. It has also been shown that its overexpression extends lifespan in silkworms, nematodes, and flies, while its depletion correspondingly shortens lifespan. This effect might be due to its regulation of mitochondrial biology and oxidative stress. Moreover, it promotes reproduction in animal models and is associated with human reproduction and longevity.

Expression

When looking at the EST Profiles in humans, normal tissue, expresses at a level of 82 transcripts per million. OSER1 has been shown to increase in expression in rat cardiac myocytes undergoing |H|2|O|2|-induced apoptosis, suggesting a role in cell death. In bladder, cervical, head and neck, non-neoplasia, pancreatic, and prostate cancer cells, there are expression levels lower than normal.

Homology

OSER1 gene has no clear paralogs in the human genome. However, it has many orthologs in other organisms, and is conserved highly in organisms such as Xenopus tropicalis and is semi-conserved in the proto-animal Trichoplax adherens at the C-terminus.
The following table presents a select number of the orthologs found.
Scientific nameCommon nameAccession numberSequence lengthPercent identityPercent Similarity
Homo sapiensHuman292--
Pan troglodytesChimpanzee29299.799
Ailuropoda melanoleucaGiant Panda2929296
Equus caballusHorse2929196
Mus musculusMouse2918792
Ornithorhynchus anatinusPlatypus2936673
Gallus gallusChicken2946675
Xenopus tropicalisW.Clawed Frog2915869
Danio rerioZebrafish3004559
Nasonia vitripennisJewel Wasp2715814
Drosophila melanogasterFruit Fly2874718
Trichoplax adhaerensTrichoplax2374613

Conservation

The image below is a multiple sequence alignment comparing the conservation of the OSER1 protein amongst other organisms. The protein is highly conserved in the DUF776 region amongst vertebrates, and also at the C-terminus in eukaryotes.

Predicted post-translational modification

Using tools at ExPASy the following are predicted post-translational modifications for OSER1.
  • Predicted propeptide cleavage site in protein between position R81 and S82.
  • 30 predicted Serine phosphorylation sites
  • 5 predicted Threonine phosphorylation sites
  • 3 predicted Tyrosine phosphorylation sites

Predicted secondary structure

PELE was used to predict the secondary structure of OSER1. There is little in the way of β-strand or α-helix secondary structure, but a large part of the protein appears to exist as random coils. This is shown on the image of the OSER1 images to the right.