title: G-utrophin, the autosomal homologue of dystrophin Dp116, is expressed in sensory ganglia and brain.
abstract: The utrophin gene is closely related to the dystrophin gene in both sequence and genomic structure. The Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) locus encodes three 14-kb dystrophin transcripts in addition to several smaller isoforms, one of which, Dp116, is specific to peripheral nerve. We describe here the corresponding 5.5-kb mRNA from the utrophin locus. This transcript, designated G-utrophin, is of particular interest because it is specifically expressed in the adult mouse brain and appears to be the predominant utrophin transcript in this tissue. G-utrophin is expressed in brain sites generally different from the regions expressing beta-dystroglycan. During mouse embryogenesis G-utrophin is also seen in the developing sensory ganglia. Our data confirm the close evolutionary relationships between the DMD and utrophin loci; however, the functions for the corresponding proteins probably differ.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Schofield
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Zuellig
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Górecki
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Phelps
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Barnard
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000235:genetics*; D017950:Ganglia, Sensory / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000235:genetics; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D049411:Utrophin
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016189:Dystrophin; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C483600:Utrn protein, mouse; D049411:Utrophin