Human Short-Chain L-3-Hydroxyacyl-CoA Dehydrogenase: Cloning and Characterization of the Coding Sequence

The cDNA encompassing the complete coding sequence of human liver short-chain L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCHAD) was isolated and characterized. Screening of a cDNA library combined with rapid amplification of 5′ cDNA ends resulted in a SCHAD cDNA sequence of 1877 bp. It encodes a protein of 314 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 34,3 kDa containing a mitochondrial import signal peptide of 12 amino acids and 302 amino acids of mature SCHAD protein. The deduced amino acid sequence of the mature protein shows a 92 percent identity with SCHAD from pig heart. Northern blot analysis reveals SCHAD mRNA to be expressed in liver, kidney, pancreas, heart and skeletal muscle. The human SCHAD gene was mapped by fluorescence in situ hybridization to chromosome 4q22-26.