title: Tissue-specific expression of splice variants of the mouse voltage-gated calcium channel alpha2/delta subunit.
abstract: Five different splice variants of mouse alpha2/delta subunit isoforms (alpha2a-e), which arose from various combinations of three alternatively spliced regions, were cloned with a combination of cDNA library screening and RT-PCR. Expression patterns and relative abundance of the various isoforms in mouse tissues were determined with an RNAse protection assay. Skeletal muscle and brain expressed single isoforms, alpha2a and alpha2b, respectively; however, the cardiovascular system expressed all five isoforms. Heart expressed mainly isoforms alpha2c and alpha2d while, in contrast to other species, aorta expressed predominantly alpha2a, the 'skeletal muscle' isoform. Smooth muscle-containing tissues expressed alpha2d and alpha2e. Thus, alpha2/delta isoforms are restricted in their tissue expression, suggesting an important functional role for the differentially spliced variants.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie der Technischen Universität München, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Angelotti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hofmann
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D018076:DNA, Complementary