title: A novel gelsolin isoform expressed by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system.
abstract: Two isoforms of the Ca2+-sensitive, actin-binding protein gelsolin have been identified thus far; one is an intracellular protein, cytoplasmic gelsolin, and the other is a secretory protein called plasma gelsolin. Gelsolin expression in the mammalian CNS appears to be localized mainly to oligodendrocytes where it is presumed that the cytoplasmic isoform predominates. Here, we show that oligodendrocytes not only contain cytoplasmic gelsolin, but they also express a novel gelsolin isoform that we have named gelsolin-3. Cytoplasmic gelsolin, plasma gelsolin, and gelsolin-3 arise by alternative splicing from the same gene. The N-terminal amino acid sequence unique to gelsolin-3 is shown to be encoded by a single exon in a region previously thought to be an intron in the human gelsolin gene. In situ hybridization analysis confirmed that gelsolin-3 mRNA is localized primarily to oligodendrocytes in rat brain. In other tissues, gelsolin-3 shows a more restricted pattern of expression than cytoplasmic gelsolin. These data support the view that the gelsolin isoforms have differential roles in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preclinical Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Vouyiouklis
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Brophy
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D018260:Gelsolin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007438:Introns; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018260:Gelsolin; D012333:RNA, Messenger