Proline-Rich Protein 23A is a protein that is encoded by the Proline-Rich 23A (PRR23A) gene.
Gene
Locus
The human PRR23A gene is on chromosome 3 at position 3q23 and is located on the antisense strand.[5] The gene is encoded from position 139,003,962 to 139,006,268. It consists on 1 exon and spans 2,307 base pairs. Other genes in the neighborhood include: FOXL2NB, FOXL2, PRR23B, and PRR23C. The FOXL2NB gene has tissue enriched expression in ovaries, and PRR23A has demonstrated expression in the ovary as well.[6][7] Aliases for PRR23A include: Proline-Rich 23A, Proline-Rich Protein 23A, and UPF0572 Protein ENSP00000372650.[8] Two of those genes, PRR23B and PRR23C, are paralogs to PRR23A.[9]
Gene expression
PRR23A is primarily expressed at low levels in the brain and testis.[7][10] There were also very low levels of PRR23A expression detected in ovary and bone marrow tissue.[7] Genes typically show high expression in the testis during RNA sequencing since it is a highly transcriptionally active tissue due to its function of sperm production.[11] However, some researchers have noted that this testis tissue expression of PRR23A may be legitimate since PRR23 family genes are thought to play a role in male reproduction.[9][12] Furthermore, brain and testis tissue share biochemical characteristics and express a large number of common genes.[13] This may also explain why PRR23A expression has been found at similar levels within the brain and testis.
PRR23A Gene Expression
Includes the Tissues that PRR23A RNA Transcript has Been Identified in Through RNA Sequencing Data[7]
Tissue
Cerebellum
Choroid Plexus
White Matter
Cerebral Cortex
Medulla Oblongata
Pons
Thalamus
Amygdala
Hippocampal Formation
Midbrain
Basal Ganglia
Hypothalamus
Spinal Cord
Testis
Ovary
Bone Marrow
RNA Abundance (nTPM)
2.4
1.7
1.7
1.6
1.6
1.6
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.5
0.1
0.1
mRNA transcript
Since PRR23A consists of 1 exon, there are no alternative splicing products.[5] This also means that the 1 known isoform in humans has an mRNA sequence of 2,307 nucleotides which matches the length of the PRR23A gene.[14] mRNA typically contain a 5' UTR with a median length of 170 nucleotides in humans, but the human PRR23A mRNA sequence does not contain a 5' UTR.[14][15] Instead, the FASTA sequence for human PRR23A begins with the start codon ATG.[14] Although, the 5' UTR is not translated, it plays a major regulatory role for the translation of coding sequence nucleotides to their amino acids that go on to form a protein structure.[16] Therefore, it is unlikely that human PRR23A does not have this region, and that its upstream 5' UTR sequence could be obtained through further sequencing research.
Protein
Human PRR23A consists of 266 amino acids, has a predicted molecular weight of 28.2 kDal, and a predicted basal isoelectric point of 4.57.[17] PRR23A, as its name implies, is enriched with the amino acid proline. Therefore, PRR23A belongs to the category of proteins called proline-rich proteins. PRR23A contains less asparagine, threonine, and lysine compared to other human proteins.[18][17] This protein composition for PRR23A is generally conserved across species.[18][19]
Human PRR23A Protein CompositionIncludes Percent Composition of Each Amino Acid for Human PRR23A and How that Percent Composition Compares to Other Human Proteins[18][17]
Amino Acid
Pro
(P)
Ala
(A)
Leu
(L)
Ser
(S)
Glu
(E)
Gly
(G)
Val
(V)
Arg
(R)
Asp
(D)
Phe
(F)
Gln
(Q)
Ile
(I)
Cys
(C)
His
(H)
Thr
(T)
Lys
(K)
Met
(M)
Try
(Y)
Trp
(W)
Asn
(N)
Composition of Human PRR23A
16.2%
10.5%
10.5%
9.8%
9.0%
7.5%
7.1%
6.4%
5.3%
3.4%
3.0%
2.3%
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.1
1.1%
1.1
0.80%
0.4
Composition of PRR23A Compared to Other Human Proteins
very rich
average
average
average
average
average
average
average
average
average
average
average
average
average
very poor
poor
average
average
average
very poor
Secondary and tertiary structure
Human PRR23A is mainly a disordered protein with small stretches of beta strands and alpha helices forming.[17][20][21][22][23][24] There are 2 known disordered regions at the beginning and the end of the protein.[17] There are 6 regions from the beginning-middle of the protein sequence that are predicted to form beta strands, and when folded into the tertiary structure are in the middle of the predicted protein structure. There is 1 possible transmembrane domain that is located in 1 of these beta strands.[18][17][20][21] Some proteins can create transmembrane beta barrels when a beta sheet curls on itself to make a tube that goes through a membrane, so the PRR23A could exhibit this phenomenon[25]. There are 2 regions towards the end of the protein sequence that are predicted to form alpha helices, and when folded into a tertiary structure are in the middle of the predicted protein structure.
iCN3D Human PRR23A Protein Structure With Proline DistributionThe proline amino acids are highlighted in yellow. Predicted beta strands are shown in a green ribbon structure, and predicted alpha helices are shown in a red ribbon structure. The start of the protein is represented by pale green spheres, and the end of the protein is represented by pale red spheres[20]iCN3D Human PRR23A Protein StructureThe 6 predicted beta strands are shown in a green ribbon structure, and the 2 predicted alpha helices are shown in a red ribbon structure. The region of PRR23A that is predicted to be a transmembrane domain is highlighted in yellow[21][20]
Subcellular localization
Antibody detection in human stomach cells has shown that PRR23A localizes in the membrane and cytoplasm.[26] Further investigation of the PRR23A protein sequence has also identified a small transmembrane region towards the beginning of the protein, and signal sequences for the ER membrane, nucleus, and mitochondria.[18][21]
Interacting proteins
PRR23A does not have very many known interactions. The most significant protein interactions for human PRR23A are DEFB106A and DEFB107A which have been determined though co-expression data and textmining.[27] Co-expression data has also shown that DEFB106A and DEFB107A interact with one another. This means that PRR23A, DEFB106A, and DEFB107A have been observed to be correlated in expression across a large number of experiments. DEFB105A, DEFB106B, IQCJ, FAM90A10P, SPAG11B, PRSS22, USP17L4, and USP17L7 are also thought to interact with PRR23A. The basis of these interactions were determined through textmining, so further experiments such as the yeast two-hybrid assay should be conducted to increase the confidence of these protein interactions.
Summary of PRR23A Protein InteractionsIncludes Info About DEFB106A, DEFB107A, DEFB105A, DEFB106B, IQCJ, FAM90A10P, SPAG11B, PRSS22, USP17L4, and USP17L7[27][28]
Belongs to the defensin family which are antimicrobial and cytotoxic peptides made by neutrophils. Associated with Diamond-Blackfan Anemia15, Mandibulofacial with Dysostosis, and Keratomalacia. Enables lipopolysaccharide binding, protein binding, heparin binding and CCR2 chemokine receptor binding
Belongs to the defensin family which are antimicrobial and cytotoxic peptides made by neutrophils. Associated with Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy 12, and Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy 6
Belongs to the defensin family which are antimicrobial and cytotoxic peptides made by neutrophils. Associated with Diamond-Blackfan Anemia15, Mandibulofacial with Dysostosis. Enables lipopolysaccharide binding, protein binding, heparin binding and CCR2 chemokine receptor binding
Encodes several androgen-dependent, epididymis-specific secretory proteins. Thought to be involved in sperm maturation. Associated with Small Intestine Lymphoma and Herpes Zoster Oticus
Gene encodes a member of the trypsin family of serine-proteases. Preferentially cleaves the synthetic substrate H-D-Leu-Thr-Arg-pNA compared to tosyl-Gly-Pro-Arg-pNA. Enables serine-type endopeptidase activity and peptidase activator activity
PRR23A first appeared within placental mammals which evolved 78-129 million years ago.[39][44] Then, placental mammals began to diversify into two the major lineages of Atlantogenata and Boreoeutheria which emerged 90-100 million years ago.[45] PRR23A orthologs can be found within both of these major lineages, and several subgroups that evolved as well.[39][46] Despite PRR23A's recent emergence in the long run of evolutionary history, it is evolving at a very rapid rate.[47][48][19]
PRR23A Evolution from Placental MammalsGreen indicates presence and red indicates absence of PRR23A proteins within a group[17][39][46]PRR23A Presence in Organisms Evolved from Placental MammalsThe different colors indicate significant differences between the groups[17][39][46]Rate of Evolution for PRR23A GeneShows the approximate date of divergence from humans for the species listed in the ortholog table above versus the corrected percent divergence (m) of the orthologous protein and the human protein for PRR23A, Cytochrome C, and Fibrinogen Alpha Chain. The slope of the lines corresponds to how fast the genes for the proteins included are evolving. Since PRR23A has a stepper slope (y=0.7456x) than Cytochrome C (y=0.3484x) and Fibrinogen Alpha (y=0.0638x), PRR23A is evolving rapidly[47][48][19]
Function
PRR23A has demonstrated gene expression within the testis through increased mRNA levels, and so have the other PRR23 family genes.[9] This expression indicates that PRR23A may have a role within the male reproductive system. The larger family of proline-rich proteins have a large range of functions including: energy provisions, antistress responses, calcium binding in saliva, structure support, and many others.[49][50] One subgroup called small proline-rich proteins (SPRRs) are antimicrobial proteins that direct bacterial membrane disruption.[51]
Clinical significance and pathology
Epigenetic modifications of PRR23A have been shown to impact maternal early-pregnancy serum ferritin concentrations.[12] 2 CpG sites within human PRR23A have been identified: cg02806645 and cg06322988. When these locations are methylated, a decrease in serum ferritin concentrations during early-pregnancy was observed. Low levels of ferritin are a sign of iron deficiency which is especially important to monitor during pregnancy.[52] Therefore, the decreased expression of PRR23A though methylation silencing is associated with iron deficiency.