title: Monoallelic yet combinatorial expression of variable exons of the protocadherin-alpha gene cluster in single neurons.
abstract: Diverse protocadherin-alpha genes (Pcdha, also called cadherin-related neuronal receptor or CNR) are expressed in the vertebrate brain. Their genomic organization involves multiple variable exons and a set of constant exons, similar to the immunoglobulin (Ig) and T-cell receptor (TCR) genes. This diversity can be used to distinguish neurons. Using polymorphisms that distinguish the C57BL/6 and MSM mouse strains, we analyzed the allelic expression of the Pcdha gene cluster in individual neurons. Single-cell analysis of Purkinje cells using multiple RT-PCR reactions showed the monoallelic and combinatorial expression of each variable exon in the Pcdha genes. This report is the first description to our knowledge of the allelic expression of a diversified receptor family in the central nervous system. The allelic and combinatorial expression of distinct variable exons of the Pcdha genes is a potential mechanism for specifying neuron identity in the brain.
authors.affiliation: KOKORO-biology group, Laboratories for Integrated Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esumi
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kakazu
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Teruyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirabayashi
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koide
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitsukawa
authors.forename: Shun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yagi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics*; D005091:Exons; D015870:Gene Expression; D014644:Genetic Variation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins