We had previously identified a novel protein termed Rwddl whose expression in thymus is decreased in aged or oxidatively stressed mice. In the present study, we found that Rwddl expressed in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic ceils showed a slower migration rate on SDS-PAGE gel. In addition, Rwddl was more sensitive to proteinase proteolysis. Furthermore, being a highly acidic protein which contains an RWD domain, Rwddl shared a high level of sequence similarity with Gir2, a member of the intrinsically unstructured protein （IUP）. These findings suggest that Rwddl is a novel member of the IUP family.
Ning KangDai ChenLi WangLian DuanShirong LiuLong TangQingfeng LiuLianxian CuiWei He
By using DDRT-PCR and EST segment ligation, a novel mouse thymus involution related gene Rwddl was identified. The reading frame encoded a protein of 243 amino acid residues which contained an RWD domain at the N terminus. Rwddl expression in thymus was decreased in aged and oxidatively stressed mice. It was found to be expressed extensively in thymocytes and thymic epithelial cells. The expression level of Rwddl could affect the transactivation activity of androgen receptor （AR） in transiently transfected thymic epithelial cells. However, no direct interaction could be detected by fluorescence resonance energy transfer （FRET） analysis. In conclusion, Rwddl is a thymus involution related protein that may indirectly affect AR signaling pathway. Cellular ＆ Molecular Immunology. 2008;5（4）：279-285.
Ning Kang Lian Duan Long Tang Shirong Liu Chunman Li Yonghai Li Qingfeng Liu Yu Hu Lianxian Cui Wei He
