CGC Bibliography Paper 5000

Three functional isoforms of GAR-2, a Caenorhabditis elegans G-protein-linked acetylcholine receptor, are produced by alternative splicing.

Suh S, Park YS, Lee YS, Cho TJ, Kaang BK, Cho NJ

Medline:

11700045

Citation:

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 288: 1238-1243 2001

Type:

ARTICLE

Genes:

gar-2

Abstract:

We have previously isolated a cDNA clone from Caenorhabditis elegans that encodes a novel form of G-protein-linked acetylcholine receptor, termed GAR-2. GAR-2 is similar to but pharmacologically distinct from muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Here we report the identification of two gar-2 cDNA clones that are different from the previous one. These newly identified cDNAs encode polypeptides of 664 and 627 amino acids, whereas the previous one encodes a polypeptide of 614 amino acids. The three GAR-2 isoforms, which differ only in the third intracellular loop, arise from alternative splicing. Electrophysiological analyses using the Xenopus oocyte system showed that all three GAR-2 isoforms couple to the activation of G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK1) channel with similar drug specificity. Our results indicate that alternative splicing plays an important role in promoting molecular diversity of G-protein-linked