Complete Amino Acid Sequence for Human Aldolase B Derived from cDNA and Genomic Clones

Several aldolase B clones from a human liver cDNA library have been identified by using a rabbit aldolase A cDNA as a hybridization probe. The most complete of these, pHL413, is 1389 base pairs long and covers ≈ 80% of the length of the mRNA, including 90% of the translated region. The cDNA, pHL413, was used to identify a genomic clone, λ HG313, which encoded the remaining amino acids of human aldolase B. We demonstrate that the amino acid and nucleotide sequences of aldolase are strongly conserved even between different isozymes. Furthermore, in the 3′-untranslated regions of the mRNAs for the B isozyme of human and rat there is an extensive stretch of homology. Aldolase B lacks a cysteine at positions 72 and 338 and lacks a histidine at position 361. These residues, which are present in rabbit aldolase A, have previously been proposed to take part in catalysis. Our findings suggest that this may not be the case.