Specifically Androgen Regulated Gene (SARG)

SARG gene contains 4 exons and spans 14.5 kb. Exon 1, which is untranslated, and exon 2 are alternatively spliced. Intron 1 contains a functional direct repeat androgen response element. A region of SARG intron 1 functioned as an androgen-specific response element in transiently transfected LNCaP cells.The cDNA contains 3 polyadenylation signals, and the deduced protein contains 601 amino acids. Steketee et al. (2004) also identified SARG splice variants lacking exon 2, resulting in a 355-amino acid protein that begins with met247 relative to the full-length protein. Northern blot analysis detected a major 3.3-kb transcript in LNCaP cells. RT-PCR showed SARG expression in prostate, but not in other tissues examined. Immunohistochemical analysis detected SARG in the cytoplasm of LNCaP cells.