title: Identification of beta1C-2, a novel variant of the integrin beta1 subunit generated by utilization of an alternative splice acceptor site in exon C.
abstract: A new splice variant of the human integrin subunit beta1 has been identified and designated beta1C-2. It differs from the previously reported beta1C (in this report designated beta1C-1) by 18 nucleotides, and is generated by splicing from exon 6 to an alternative splice acceptor site within exon C, causing an in-frame deletion of six amino acids of the cytoplasmic region of beta1C-1. The beta1C-2 mRNA is present in several human cell lines and tissues at low levels, similarly to beta1C-1. In peripheral T-lymphocytes, beta1C-2 is the selectively expressed isoform. Neither beta1C-1 nor beta1C-2 mRNA could be detected in mouse tissues, and Southern hybridization of a mouse genomic beta1 clone with a human exon-C-specific probe failed to identify a corresponding mouse exon. The antisense orientation of exon C is highly homologous to an Alu element. Since Alu elements are restricted to primates, the beta1C-1 and beta1C-2 variants of the integrin subunit beta1 are specific for these species. The protein coded for by the beta1C-2 cDNA can be expressed and localized to the surface of beta1 deficient mouse cells. However, while stable transformed clones expressing high levels of the beta1A were commonly found, the beta1C-1 and beta1C-2 expressing clones expressed barely detectable amounts of the beta1 protein. Hence, high levels of beta1C-2 may be incompatible with cell proliferation, as previously suggested for beta1C-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Physiological Chemistry, Box 575, The Biomedical Centre, S-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Svineng
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fässler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johansson
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017931:DNA Primers; D005091:Exons; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D019012:Integrin beta1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins