Alternative splicing of Pax6 in bovine eye and evolutionary conservation of intron sequences.
Pax-6 is essential for eye development and for tissue-specific gene expression within the eye. Splicing of an alternative exon (5a) leads to variant DNA binding specificity in Pax6. Here we show that in the mature bovine eye the relative abundance of the alternative Pax6-5a mRNA varies markedly, particularly between the lens and iris. Additional alternative splicing products were identified which may lead to "domain swapping" or truncation of Pax6 proteins. Comparison of amphibian (Xenopus) and mammalian (bovine) Pax-6 genes revealed highly conserved intronic sequences flanking exon 5a, including potential lariat sites which may have a role in the mechanism of alternative splicing.
Jaworski
C
C
Section on Molecular Structure and Function, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Sperbeck
S
S
Graham
C
C
Wistow
G
G
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000235:genetics
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins