Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow Print PDF (161K) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (8)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Commercial Re-use Guidelines
for Open Access NAR Content
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Liu, L. F.
Right arrow Articles by Kuo, K. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Liu, L. F.
Right arrow Articles by Kuo, K. W.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Nucleic Acids Research, Vol 26, Issue 24 5624-5629, Copyright © 1998 by Oxford University Press

ARTICLES

Genetic characterization of the mRNAs encoding alpha-bungarotoxin: isoforms and RNA editing in Bungarus multicinctus gland cells

LF Liu, CC Chang, MY Liau and KW Kuo
Department of Biochemistry, Kaohsiung Medical College, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.

The mRNA encoding alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-Butx) was prepared from the venom glands of Bungarus multicinctus by Cap-finder cDNA synthesis. The sequences of the 3'- and 5'-flanking regions including a signal peptide of alpha-Butx were almost identical with those of Elapidae and Hydrophiidae toxins, suggesting that they may have the same origin. Sixteen polymorphic mRNA sequences of alpha-Butx were detected from B.multicinctus gland cells. Analysis of the genomic DNA of alpha-Butx indicated that the polymorphic mRNA originated from one DNA sequence. Most of the mutations in alpha-Butx mRNA were silent and the hot-spot variations occurred at 78, 107, 129, 198 and 201 nt in alpha-Butx mRNA. Ten distinct protein sequences of alpha-Butx could be deduced from the polymorphic mRNA and one of the isoforms has already been isolated. Since alpha-Butx DNA is a single copy in the genome, the RNA polymorphism might result from post-transcriptional editing. These results indicate that the authentic alpha-Butx is in fact derived from edited mRNAs. RNA editing may contribute a common mechanism toward the diversity of alpha-neurotoxins in snake glands.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.