Buck L B, Bigelow J M, Axel R
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032.
Cell. 1987 Oct 9;51(1):127-33. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90017-1.
The neuron R15 is a peptidergic cell within the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia that participates in two neural circuits governing physiological and behavioral programs. We have cloned and characterized the major gene product expressed in this neuron. The R15 cDNA encodes a polyprotein precursor that is cleaved to yield a set of small neuropeptides. One peptide, R15 alpha 1, may act on different target cells to generate distinct but complementary physiological alterations that contribute to a program of cardiovascular changes in Aplysia. We have found that the RNA encoding the R15 polyprotein is spliced differently in different neurons. Our results suggest that alternative splicing of RNAs encoding polyproteins may provide a mechanism to generate distinct but overlapping sets of peptides that govern distinct but related physiological or behavioral programs.
神经元R15是海兔腹神经节内的一个肽能细胞，它参与两个控制生理和行为程序的神经回路。我们已经克隆并鉴定了在该神经元中表达的主要基因产物。R15 cDNA编码一种多蛋白前体，该前体被切割后产生一组小神经肽。其中一种肽，即R15α1，可能作用于不同的靶细胞，产生不同但互补的生理变化，这些变化有助于海兔的心血管变化程序。我们发现，编码R15多蛋白的RNA在不同的神经元中剪接方式不同。我们的结果表明，编码多蛋白的RNA的可变剪接可能提供一种机制，以产生不同但重叠的肽组，这些肽组控制不同但相关的生理或行为程序。
