Alternative exon usage in the single CPT1 gene of Drosophila generates functional diversity in the kinetic properties of the enzyme: differential expression of alternatively spliced variants in Drosophila tissues.

ABSTRACT: The Drosophila melanogaster genome contains only one CPT1 gene (Jackson, V. N., Cameron, J. M., Zammit, V. A., and Price, N. T. (1999) Biochem. J. 341, 483-489). We have now extended our original observation to all insect genomes that have been sequenced, suggesting that a single CPT1 gene is a universal feature of insect genomes. We hypothesized that insects may be able to generate kinetically distinct variants by alternative splicing of their single CPT1 gene. Analysis of the insect genomes revealed that (a) the single CPT1 gene in each and every insect genome contains two alternative exons and (ii) in all cases, the putative alternative splicing site occurs within a small region corresponding to 21 amino acid residues that are known to be essential for the binding of substrates and of m

SUBMITTER: Price NT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2832936 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature