title: A novel splice variant of the cell adhesion molecule BIG-2 is expressed in the olfactory and vomeronasal neuroepithelia.
abstract: We have cloned a mouse cDNA encoding a novel truncated form of the gene BIG-2 from the vomeronasal organ. The related proteins BIG-2 and BIG-1 possess a C-terminal glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, six immunoglobulin domains and four fibronectin type III repeats. They are related to certain axonal-associated cell adhesion molecules (AxCAMs) exhibiting most similarity to the TAG-1/F3 subgroup of neural cell adhesion molecules. The cDNA we have identified, termed BIG-2A, appears to represent a novel splice variant of BIG-2 possessing six Ig-like domains, a single fibronectin repeat and lacking the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchoring domain (GPI). To determine the expression of this gene, in situ hybridization analysis was performed in adult and developing mice using a riboprobe specific for BIG-2A. Maximum expression was observed in mature sensory cells of the vomeronasal neuroepithelium and a less intense signal was also evident in the olfactory neuroepithelium. These results suggest that alternative splicing of the BIG-2 gene transcript may play an important role in the organization of the vomeronasal and olfactory neuroepithelia.
authors.affiliation: Sub-Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Cambridge, Madingley, UK.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Mimmack
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bresler
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Keverne
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Emson
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000235:genetics*; D058966:Contactins; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000378:metabolism*; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D019147:Vomeronasal Organ / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; C484359:Cntn4 protein, mouse; D058966:Contactins