RGD Reference Report - Alpha 3, alpha 5, and beta 4: three members of the rat neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-related gene family form a gene cluster. - Rat Genome Database

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Alpha 3, alpha 5, and beta 4: three members of the rat neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-related gene family form a gene cluster.

Authors: Boulter, J  O'Shea-Greenfield, A  Duvoisin, RM  Connolly, JG  Wada, E  Jensen, A  Gardner, PD  Ballivet, M  Deneris, ES  McKinnon, D 
Citation: Boulter J, etal., J Biol Chem 1990 Mar 15;265(8):4472-82.
RGD ID: 724746
Pubmed: PMID:1689727   (View Abstract at PubMed)

We have identified two additional members of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)-related gene family. cDNA clones for one new gene, designated alpha 5, were isolated from rat hippocampus and rat PC12 cell line cDNA libraries. The alpha 5 gene encodes a protein of 48,800 daltons (424 amino acids) which exhibits significant overall amino acid sequence identity with the previously cloned rat nAChR subunits alpha 1 (49%), alpha 2 (55%), alpha 3 (52%), and alpha 4 (49%). Features characteristic of other nAChR alpha-subunits are present such as conserved cysteine residues at positions 127, 141, 191, and 192, and four strongly hydrophobic domains. A second addition to the nAChR-related gene family, designated beta 4, is encoded in overlapping rat genomic clones lambda DD15 and lambda RG518A. The beta 4 gene, encoding a mature protein of 53,300 daltons (475 amino acids), consists of 6 exons and has a transcription unit length of approximately 18 kilobase pairs. The beta 4 gene encoded protein shows considerable amino acid sequence identity with nAChR beta 1 (43%), beta 2 (64%), and beta 3 (44%) subunits. Northern blots showed that, along with alpha 3 and beta 2, transcripts for both the alpha 5 and beta 4 genes are present in the PC12 cell line, while in situ hybridization experiments demonstrated expression of the alpha 5 and beta 4 genes in a small number of nuclei in the central nervous system. Finally, the genes that encode the beta 4, alpha 3, and alpha 5 proteins are transcribed with convergent polarities and form a tightly linked gene cluster spanning approximately 60 kilobase pairs.

Gene Ontology Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View

Cellular Component
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
acetylcholine-gated channel complex  TAS 724746 RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Chrnb4  (cholinergic receptor nicotinic beta 4 subunit)

Objects referenced in this article
Gene Chrna5 cholinergic receptor nicotinic alpha 5 subunit Rattus norvegicus

Additional Information