title: Human GABA(B)R genomic structure: evidence for splice variants in GABA(B)R1 but not GABA(B)R2.
abstract: The type B gamma-aminobutryic acid receptor (GABA(B)R) is a G protein coupled receptor that mediates slow pre- and post-synaptic inhibition in the nervous system. We find that the human GABA(B)R2 gene spans greater than 350 kb and contains 2.8 kb of coding region in 19 exons. The overall similarity in genomic structure with regard to conservation of intron position and exon size between human or Drosophila GABA(B)R1 and GABA(B)R2 genes suggests a common ancestral origin. Multiple transcripts GABA(B)R1a-c and GABA(B)R2a-c have been described and alternative splicing has been proposed to result in GABA(B)R1c, GABA(B)R2b and GABA(B)R2c. The results described here provide support for the existence of GABA(B)R1c but not for GABA(B)R2b and GABA(B)R2c. Splice junctions present in the GABA(B)R1 gene sequence are consistent with the formation of GABA(B)R1c by exon skipping of one sushi domain module. The GABA(B)R2 gene lacks canonical splice junctions for the reported variants. Consistent with this, RNA analysis demonstrates the presence of GABA(B)R1c and GABA(B)R2 transcripts in fetal and adult human brain RNA but GABA(B)R2b and GABA(B)R2c transcripts are not detected. These results provide insight into the evolution and transcript diversity of the mammalian GABA(B)R genes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Pharmacology, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118-2394, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Russek
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Farb
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons; D015870:Gene Expression; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000235:genetics; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; C485503:GABBR2 protein, human; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018079:Receptors, GABA; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B