Sorbin And SH3 Domain Containing Protein 3 (SORBS3)

The SORBS3 gene encodes 2 isoforms vinexin-alpha and -beta that are vinculin (VCL)-binding cytoskeletal proteins involved in focal adhesion and cell-cell adhesion.The 733-amino acid mouse vinexin-alpha and the 328-amino acid mouse vinexin-beta have deduced molecular masses of 87 kD and 37 kD, respectively. Sequence analysis of the 5-prime UTRs of the human and mouse cDNAs, suggested that 2 distinct alternative promoters give rise to the 2 mRNA species. Vinexin-beta corresponds to the C-terminal half of vinexin-alpha, and both species share a region containing 3 SH3 domains. Northern blot analysis detected a 2.0-kb transcript in all human tissues examined with highest expression in heart, placenta, and pancreas, moderate expression in brain and liver, and low expression in lung, skeletal muscle, and kidney.