title: Novel testis germ cell-specific transcript of the CREB gene contains an alternatively spliced exon with multiple in-frame stop codons.
abstract: The gene encoding the cAMP-responsive transcription factor CREB consists of multiple small exons some of which undergo alternative RNA splicing. We describe the finding of a novel transcript of the CREB gene expressed at high levels in the germ cells of the rat testis. The transcript contains an alternatively spliced exon inserted within the sequence encoding the transcriptional transactivation domain of CREB and this exon contains multiple in-frame stop codons. Furthermore, the exon is conserved in both rat and human genes (75% nucleotide identity). Although the function(s) of this RNA or the truncated CREB protein predicted to result from the translation of this unusual transcript is unknown, the high level of expression in the testicular germ cells and remarkable conservation of sequences in rat and human suggests that it may have a unique biological function in these cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Waeber
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Habener
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003062:Codon; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005091:Exons; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000235:genetics; D012326:RNA Splicing; D051381:Rats; D016364:Reading Frames; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes