We have isolated cDNA clones encoding the dog and human forms of a novel protein whose function is still unknown. Sequence analysis indicates that dog clone c5fw protein contains 343 amino acid residues, several potential phosphorylation sites, and two of the 12 conserved subdomains (MI1 and IX) that fold into a common catalytic core structure of the large family of protein kinases. Human clone c
S 'shares 95% amino acid identity with its dog counterpart. We have also isolated another human-related clone c53v sharing 70% amino acid identity with the dog sequence. We transiently expressed c-myc epitope-tagged clone c5& protein in COS-7 cells and infected thyrocytes in primary culture with a recombinant adenovirus containing clone c5jw cDNA (adenovirus c5fw). In both experiments, a 46-kDa protein was detected and subsequently more extensively characterized. By two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and V8 protease digestion, we showed that this overexpressed protein is phosphorylated on different sites. Moreover, cells stimulated with thyrotropin or epiderinal growth factor, thyrotropin and fetal calf serum increased the level of clone cSfLL' protein produced after infection by adenovirus containing clone c5fw. The disappearance of this 46-kDa protein after 1 h of puromycin treatment indicates that it is a labile protein. Immunofluorescence and subcellular fractionation analysis have revealed that c -m ytagged clone cSfi was insoluble and localized mainly in the cytoplasm, in the form of granules.