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Drosophila γ‐Aminobutyric Acid Receptor Gene Rdl Shows Extensive Alternative Splicing
Author(s) -
FfrenchConstant Richard H.,
Rocheleau Thomas A.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1993.tb03523.x
Subject(s) - exon , alternative splicing , biology , rna splicing , gene , locus (genetics) , genetics , mutant , microbiology and biotechnology , rna
The Drosophila γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor subunit gene Rdl was isolated on the basis of a mutant phenotype showing high levels of insensitivity to picrotoxinin and cyclodiene insecticides. Following analysis of two dissimilar cDNAs isolated from the locus, we report that Rdl undergoes extensive alternative splicing at two locations in the putative extracellular domain. At each location a choice is made between exons of the same size: “a'’or “b'’(23 amino acids long with two substitutions) and “c'’or “D'’(46 residues long with 10 substitutions). The function of these alternative exons remains unclear; however, exon d contains a putative site for casein kinase II phosphorylation. AH possible combinations of exons (a with c or d and b with c or d) were found in RNA isolated from early embryos. This is the first demonstration of alternative splicing in a GABA receptor gene from invertebrates.