title: Analyses of murine postsynaptic density-95 identify novel isoforms and potential translational control elements.
abstract: Postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) is an evolutionarily conserved synaptic adaptor protein that is known to bind many proteins including the NMDA receptor. This observation has implicated it in many NMDA receptor-dependent processes including spatial learning and synaptic plasticity. We have cloned and characterised the murine PSD-95 gene. In addition, we have identified two previously uncharacterised splice variants of the major murine PSD-95 transcript (PSD-95alpha): PSD-95alpha-2b results from an extension of exon 2 and PSD-95alpha-Delta18 from the temporal exclusion of exon 18. The presence of PSD-95alpha-2b sequences in other PSD-95 family members implicates this peptide stretch as functionally significant. Another potential transcript (PSD-95gamma) was also identified based on examination of EST databases. Immunoprecipitation assays demonstrate that proteins corresponding in size to PSD-95alpha-Delta18 and PSD-95gamma interact with the NMDA receptor, suggesting an important biological role for these isoforms. Finally, we have performed bioinformatics analyses of the PSD-95 mRNA untranslated regions, identifying multiple translational control elements that suggest protein production could be regulated post-transcriptionally. The variety of mRNA isoforms and regulatory elements identified provides for a high degree of diversity in the structure and function of PSD-95 proteins.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bence
authors.forename: Margaret I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Arbuckle
authors.forename: Kirsten S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.forename: Seth G N
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods; D000076122:Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein; D005091:Exons; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods; D051528:Guanylate Kinases; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation / Q000379:methods; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000502:physiology; D022821:RNA Splice Sites; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods; D020506:Untranslated Regions / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000076122:Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein; C501447:Dlg4 protein, mouse; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D022821:RNA Splice Sites; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020506:Untranslated Regions; C033652:postsynaptic density proteins; D051528:Guanylate Kinases