title: Differential expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family receptor alpha-2 isoforms in rat urinary bladder and intestine.
abstract: Neurturin (NTN) is a member of the glial cell line-derived (GDNF) family of neurotrophic factors, which act via a receptor complex composed of a signal transducing receptor, c-Ret and a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked ligand binding receptor, GFRalpha. Different members of the GDNF family bind preferentially to one of four different GFRalpha receptors; NTN binds preferentially to the GFRalpha-2 receptor. Recent evidence has shown that three alternatively spliced isoforms of GFRalpha-2 occur in rodent tissues, including the rat brain, myenteric plexus and kidney, and several mouse tissues. Here we have examined the occurrence of GFRalpha-2 isoforms in the adult male rat urinary bladder by RT-PCR, in parallel with samples from the muscularis externa of the rat ileum. In contrast to the ileum, only a single GFRalpha-2 isoform, the smallest isoform, known as GFRalpha-2c, was detected in the rat urinary bladder. This differential expression of GFRalpha-2 transcripts in bladder and intestine may be related to differences in the roles of NTN in the two tissues and its actions on the neurons that innervate them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK.
authors.forename: Nazanin F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Dolatshad
authors.forename: M Jill
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Saffrey
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D017776:Autonomic Pathways / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D007001:Hypogastric Plexus / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007422:Intestines / Q000294:innervation; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism*; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000378:metabolism; D051101:Neurturin / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D051101:Neurturin; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger