Putative alternative trans-splicing of leukocyte adhesion-GPCR pre-mRNAs generates functional chimeric receptors

FEBS Lett. 2008 Mar 5;582(5):792-8. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2008.02.004. Epub 2008 Feb 11.

Abstract

The EGF-TM7 receptors, a subfamily of adhesion-GPCRs mostly restricted to leukocytes, are known to express multiple functional protein isoforms through extensive alternative cis-splicing. Here, we demonstrate that EGF-TM7 pre-mRNAs also undergo the rare trans-splicing, leading to the generation of functional chimeric receptors. RT-PCR and in silico analyses of EMR2 transcripts identified unique fragments containing the EGF-like motif 3 of a closely related EGF-TM7 gene, CD97, in addition to the alternative cis-spliced products. The sequence swapping is restricted to the EGF-3 exon, generating unique EMR2(1-2-3*-5) and EMR2(1-2-3*-4-5) molecules, which are functional in ligand-binding as the wild-type EMR2(1-2-3-4-5) and CD97(1-2-3-4-5) receptors. Our results suggest that human leukocytes employ trans-splicing as well as cis-splicing to increase the repertoire of functional adhesion-GPCRs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing / genetics*
  • Antigens, CD / genetics*
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • Clone Cells
  • Computational Biology
  • Exons / genetics
  • Expressed Sequence Tags
  • Humans
  • Introns / genetics
  • Ligands
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • RNA Precursors / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / genetics*
  • Receptors, Leukocyte-Adhesion / genetics*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • ADGRE2 protein, human
  • ADGRE5 protein, human
  • Antigens, CD
  • Ligands
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Protein Isoforms
  • RNA Precursors
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Receptors, Leukocyte-Adhesion