Premium
Tissue‐specific promoter usage and diverse splicing variants of found in neurons , an ancestral H u/ ELAV ‐like RNA ‐binding protein gene of insects, in the direct‐developing insect G ryllus bimaculatus
Author(s) -
Watanabe T.,
Aonuma H.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
insect molecular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.955
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2583
pISSN - 0962-1075
DOI - 10.1111/imb.12057
Subject(s) - biology , gene , rna splicing , rna binding protein , drosophila melanogaster , alternative splicing , gryllus bimaculatus , genetics , gene expression , regulation of gene expression , rna , messenger rna , cricket , ecology
H u/ ELAV ‐like RNA ‐binding proteins ( RBPs ) are involved in the post‐transcriptional regulation of RNA metabolism including splicing, transport, translational control and turnover. The H u/ ELAV ‐like RBP genes are predominantly expressed in neurons, and are therefore used as common neuronal markers in many animals. Although the expression patterns and functions of the H u/ ELAV ‐like RBP genes have been extensively studied in the model insect D rosophila melanogaster , little is known in basal direct‐developing insects. In the present study, we performed an identification and expression analysis of the found in neurons ( fne ) gene, an ancestral insect H u/ ELAV ‐like RBP gene, in the cricket G ryllus bimaculatus . Contrary to expectation that the G ryllus fne transcript would be predominantly expressed in the nervous system, expression analysis revealed that the G ryllus fne gene is expressed broadly. In addition, we discovered that alternative promoter usage directs tissue‐specific and embryonic stage‐dependent regulation of fne expression, and that alternative splicing contributes to the generation of diverse sets of fne transcripts. Our data provide novel insights into the evolutionary diversification of the H u/ ELAV ‐like RBP gene family in insects.