title: Identification and characterization of 5' extension of mammalian agrin cDNA, the exons and the promoter sequences.
abstract: Agrin, which is secreted from motor neurons, is essential for the formation and maintenance of the vertebrate neuromuscular junctions. Here we show the complete N-terminal sequence of the mammalian cDNA required for the expression and secretion as well as the intron/exon structure and the 5'-flanking sequence required for basal promoter activity. The 5'-flanking region and the first exon are extremely GC rich and contain a CpG island. These features may account for hindrance in identification of the 5' end of the cDNA and the promoter region of the mammalian agrin gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, School of Medicine, Ehime University, Japan. shigemot@m.ehime-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shigemoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Obata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D018171:Agrin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018387:Codon, Initiator / Q000235:genetics; D018899:CpG Islands / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D023282:Nuclease Protection Assays; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D022821:RNA Splice Sites / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D020218:Response Elements / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017384:Sequence Deletion / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018171:Agrin; D018387:Codon, Initiator; D022821:RNA Splice Sites; D012333:RNA, Messenger