Summary
The gene adr-1 encodes two isoforms of double stranded RNA adenosine-deaminase (editase) and is well expressed at all stages of development [Hough et al, 1999; Kohara cDNAs], mostly in neurons and in the developing vulva [Tonkin et al, 2002]. It is one of two closely related genes. RNA editing by ADARs is important for normal behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans, as shown by the study of null deletion alleles [Tonkin et al, 2002]. Some ADAR function is required to prevent gene silencing in somatic tissue: transgenes expressed in the somatic tissues of wild-type animals are silenced in strains with deletions in the two genes encoding ADARs, adr-1 and adr-2 [Knight and Bass, 2002]. It lies second in a six gene operon including in that order an essential gene 3I324 (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase complex I, 23.9 kD mitochondrial subunit), gene 3I320 (haloacid dehalogenase-like hydrolase, GS1-like protein), gene 3I318, gene 3I314 (heat shock protein 75) and gene 3I312 (NADH oxidoreductase complex)[Wormbase] adr-2 encodes an adenosine deaminase that acts on RNA (ADAR); ADARs are RNA-editing enzymes that deaminate adenosines to create inosines in double-stranded RNA (dsRNA); adr-2 is expressed ubiquitously in early embryos, as well as in the germline of early adults; ADR-2 is required for ADAR activity in vivo, and for normal chemotaxis.
Wormbase predicts one model, but Caenorhabditis elegans cDNA sequences in GenBank, filtered against clone rearrangements, coaligned on the genome and clustered in a minimal non-redundant way by the manually supervised AceView program, support at least 2 spliced variants.

AceView summary
Expression: According to AceView, this gene is expressed at high level, 1.4 times the average gene in this release, at all stages of development [Kohara cDNAs], mostly in neurons and in the developing vulva [Tonkin et al, 2002]. The sequence of this gene is defined by 19 cDNA clones, some from whole animal (seen once). We annotate structural defects or features in one cDNA clone.
Alternative mRNA variants and regulation: The gene contains 4 distinct gt-ag introns. Transcription produces 2 alternatively spliced mRNAs. There are 3 validated alternative polyadenylation sites (see the diagram). The mRNAs appear to differ by splicing versus retention of one intron.
Protein coding potential: The 2 spliced mRNAs putatively encode good proteins, altogether 2 different isoforms (2 complete, 1 COOH complete), some containing domains Adenosine deaminase/editase, double-stranded RNA binding [Pfam]. Efficacy of translation may be reduced by the presence of a shorter translated product (uORF) initiating at an AUG upstream of the main open reading frame (in variant b).
Function: There are 5 articles specifically referring to this gene in PubMed. In addition we point below to 3 abstracts. This gene is associated to a phenotype (abnormal CHEmotaxis, required for normal behaviour). Functionally, the gene has been proposed to participate in a process (RNA processing). Proteins are expected to have molecular functions (adenosine deaminase activity, double-stranded RNA binding activity) and to localize in various compartments (cytoplasm, intracellular).

Please quote: AceView: a comprehensive cDNA-supported gene and transcripts annotation, Genome Biology 2006, 7(Suppl 1):S12

Map: This gene adr-2 maps on chomosome III at position -0.74 (interpolated). In AceView, it covers 1.94 kb, from 7232811 to 7230877 (WS190), on the reverse strand.
Links to: WormBase, NextDB, RNAiDB.
Other names: The gene is also known in Wormgenes/AceView by its positional name 3I322, in Wormbase by its cosmid.number name T20H4.4, in NextDB, the Nematode expression pattern database, as CEYK6994.

The closest human genes, according to BlastP, are the AceView genes ADARB1 (e=3 10^-53), ADAR (e=3 10^-53), ADARB2 (e=10^-47).
The closest mouse genes, according to BlastP, are the AceView genes Adarb1 (e=2 10^-55), Adar (e=2 10^-55).
The closest A.thaliana gene, according to BlastP, is the AceView gene AT1G01760 (e=8 10^-25)

Alternative mRNAs are shown aligned from 5' to 3' on a virtual genome where introns have been shrunk to a minimal length. Exon size is proportional to length, intron height reflects the number of cDNA clones supporting each intron. Superimposed introns of the same color are identical, of different colors are different.
Mouse over the ending of each transcript gives tissues from which the supporting cDNAs were extracted. Click on any transcript to open the specific mRNA page, to see the exact cDNA clone support and eventual SNPs and to get details on tissues, sequences, mRNA and protein annotations. Details on tissue of origin for each intron and exon is available from the intron and exons table. Good predicted proteins are in pink, yellow proteins may be partial or unconvincing, green are uORFs. Proteins supported by a single continuous GenBank accession lead to underlining the name/ending of the variant. Names not underlined result from cDNA concatenation in the coding region and should be experimentally checked.
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