Objective To obtain the nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid sequence of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) cDNA from the tree shrew (Tupaia glis).Methods The cDNA sequence of the tree shrew CETP was obtained by utilizing the technique of switching mechanism at 5’ end of RNA transcript (SMART) and rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) from the first strand of the cDNA. The amino acid sequence of CETP was deduced from the cDNA sequence and its primary and secondary structures were predicted.Results The sequence of CETP cDNA from tree shrew (GenBank accession number AF334033) covers 1636 bp, including 178 bp at the 3’ end of the untranslated region and a 1458 bp fragment in a coding region, which provides the complete sequence of mature tree shrew CETP, although not the initiator methionine. The first 24 bp encodes a partial signal peptide. The mature protein consists of 477 amino acids and is longer than the human version by one amino acid (Gly318). Comparing this amino acid sequence with t Objective To obtain the nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid sequence of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) cDNA from the tree shrew (Tupaia glis). Methods The cDNA sequence of the tree shrew CETP was obtained by utilizing the technique of switching mechanism at 5 ’ end of RNA transcript (SMART) and rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) from the first strand of the cDNA. The amino acid sequence of CETP was deduced from the cDNA sequence and its primary and secondary structures were predicted. Results The sequence of CETP cDNA from tree shrew (GenBank accession number AF334033) covers 1636 bp, including 178 bp at the 3 ’end of the untranslated region and a 1458 bp fragment in a coding region, which provides the complete sequence of mature tree shrew CETP, although not the The first 24 bp encodes a partial signal peptide. The mature protein consists of 477 amino acids and is longer than the human version by one amino acid (Gly318). Comparing this amino ac id sequence with t