Characterization of the human SLC2A11 (GLUT11) gene: alternative promoter usage, function, expression, and subcellular distribution of three isoforms, and lack of mouse orthologue

GLUT11 (SLC2A11) is a class II sugar transport facilitator which exhibits highest similarity with the fructose transporter GLUT5 (about 42%). Here we demonstrate that separate exons 1 (exon 1A, exon 1B, and exon 1C) of the SLC2A11 gene generate mRNAs of three GLUT11 variants (GLUT11-A, GLUT11-B, and GLUT11-C) that differ in the amino acid sequence of their N-termini. All three 5'-flanking regions of exon 1A, exon 1B and exon 1C exhibited promoter activity when expressed as luciferase fusion constructs in COS-7 cells. 5'-RACE-PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, and Northern blot analysis performed with specific probes for exon 1A, 1B and 1C demonstrated that GLUT11-A is expressed in heart, skeletal muscle, and kidney, GLUT11-B in kidney, adipose tissue, and placenta, and GLUT11-C in adipose tissue, heart, skeletal muscle, and pancreas. Surprisingly, mice and rats lack the SLC2A11 gene. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes, all three GLUT11 isoforms transport glucose and fructose but not galactose. There was no apparent difference in the subcellular distribution of the three isoforms expressed in COS-7 cells. Our data indicate that different promoters and splicing of the human SLC2A11 gene generate three GLUT11 isoforms which are expressed in a tissue specific manner but do not appear to differ in their functional characteristics.     

Characterization of the human SLC2A11 (GLUT11) gene: alternative promoter usage,function, expression,and subcellular distribution of three isoforms,and lack of mouse orthologue

GLUT11 (SLC2A11) is a class II sugar transport facilitator which exhibits highest similarity with the fructose transporter GLUT5 (about 42%). Here we demonstrate that separate exons 1 (exon 1A, exon 1B, and exon 1C) of the SLC2A11 gene generate mRNAs of three GLUT11 variants (GLUT11-A, GLUT11-B, and GLUT11-C) that differ in the amino acid sequence of their N-termini. All three 5′-flanking regions of exon 1A, exon 1B and exon 1C exhibited promoter activity when expressed as luciferase fusion constructs in COS-7 cells. 5′-RACE-PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, and Northern blot analysis performed with specific probes for exon 1A, 1B and 1C demonstrated that GLUT11-A is expressed in heart, skeletal muscle, and kidney, GLUT11-B in kidney, adipose tissue, and placenta, and GLUT11-C in adipose tissue, heart, skeletal muscle, and pancreas. Surprisingly, mice and rats lack the SLC2A11 gene. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes, all three GLUT11 isoforms transport glucose and fructose but not galactose. There was no apparent difference in the subcellular distribution of the three isoforms expressed in COS-7 cells. Our data indicate that different promoters and splicing of the human SLC2A11 gene generate three GLUT11 isoforms which are expressed in a tissue specific manner but do not appear to differ in their functional characteristics.     

Characterization of a cardiac-specific enhancer, which directs {alpha}-cardiac actin gene transcription in the mouse adult heart

Expression of the mouse alpha-cardiac actin gene in skeletal and cardiac muscle is regulated by enhancers lying 5' to the proximal promoter. Here we report the characterization of a cardiac-specific enhancer located within -2.354/-1.36 kbp of the gene, which is active in cardiocytes but not in C2 skeletal muscle cells. In vivo it directs reporter gene expression to the adult heart, where the proximal promoter alone is inactive. An 85-bp region within the enhancer is highly conserved between human and mouse and contains a central AT-rich site, which is essential for enhancer activity. This site binds myocyte enhancer factor (MEF)2 factors, principally MEF2D and MEF2A in cardiocyte nuclear extracts. These results are discussed in the context of MEF2 activity and of the regulation of the alpha-cardiac actin locus.     

Mutation analysis of candidate genes SCN1B, KCND3 and ANK2 in patients with clinical diagnosis of long QT syndrome

The long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a monogenic disorder characterized by prolongation of the QT interval on electrocardiogram and syncope or sudden death caused by polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (torsades de pointes). In general, mutations in cardiac ion channel genes (KCNQ1, KCNH2, SCN5A, KCNE1, KCNE2) have been identified as a cause for LQTS. About 50-60 % of LQTS patients have an identifiable LQTS causing mutation in one of mentioned genes. In a group of 12 LQTS patients with no identified mutations in these genes we have tested a hypothesis that other candidate genes could be involved in LQTS pathophysiology. SCN1B and KCND3 genes encode ion channel proteins, ANK2 gene encodes cytoskeletal protein interacting with ion channels. To screen coding regions of genes SCN1B, KCND3, and 10 exons of ANK2 following methods were used: PCR, SSCP, and DNA sequencing. Five polymorphisms were found in screened candidate genes, 2 polymorphisms in KCND3 and 3 in SCN1B. None of found polymorphisms has coding effect nor is located close to splice sites or has any similarity to known splicing enhancer motifs. Polymorphism G246T in SCN1B is a novel one. No mutation directly causing LQTS was found. Molecular mechanism of LQTS genesis in these patients remains unclear.     

Analysis of muscle creatine kinase gene regulatory elements in skeletal and cardiac muscles of transgenic mice.

Regulatory regions of the mouse muscle creatine kinase (MCK) gene, previously discovered by analysis in cultured muscle cells, were analyzed in transgenic mice. The 206-bp MCK enhancer at nt-1256 was required for high-level expression of MCK-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion genes in skeletal and cardiac muscle; however, unlike its behavior in cell culture, inclusion of the 1-kb region of DNA between the enhancer and the basal promoter produced a 100-fold increase in skeletal muscle activity. Analysis of enhancer control elements also indicated major differences between their properties in transgenic muscles and in cultured muscle cells. Transgenes in which the enhancer right E box or CArG element were mutated exhibited expression levels that were indistinguishable from the wild-type transgene. Mutation of three conserved E boxes in the MCK 1,256-bp 5' region also had no effect on transgene expression in thigh skeletal muscle expression. All these mutations significantly reduced activity in cultured skeletal myocytes. However, the enhancer AT-rich element at nt - 1195 was critical for expression in transgenic skeletal muscle. Mutation of this site reduced skeletal muscle expression to the same level as transgenes lacking the 206-bp enhancer, although mutation of the AT-rich site did not affect cardiac muscle expression. These results demonstrate clear differences between the activity of MCK regulatory regions in cultured muscles cells and in whole adult transgenic muscle. This suggests that there are alternative mechanism of regulating the MCK gene in skeletal and cardiac muscle under different physiological states.     

Alternative non-coding exons support serotonin transporter mRNA expression in the brain and gut

A number of studies in recent years have linked polymorphisms within the serotonin transporter (5HTT) gene to affective disorders and anxiety traits. The human 5HTT mRNA is alternatively spliced, and the splice variants are equally expressed in the human placental cell line and dorsal raphe. In this study, using 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends, we show that the rat 5HTT mRNA is alternatively spliced, leading to three distinct mRNAs differing in the 5' untranslated region. To determine whether the three alternatively spliced mRNA species that contain one of the following untranslated regions (i) exon 1A, 63 bp (ii) exon 1A + 1B, 125 bp or (iii) exon 1C, 101 bp, were expressed in a tissue-specific manner, we used RT-PCR and exon-specific oligonucleotide hybridization. Our results suggest two of the variants (1A + 1B and 1A) may utilize the same promoter; however, they are not equally expressed. While in the adult CNS and adrenal medulla, the shorter mRNA consisting of exon 1A was considerably more abundant, in the stomach and heart, the two variants were equally expressed. The third splice variant exon 1C is only expressed in the gut and to a lesser extent in the heart. The data from this study suggest the splice variant consisting of exon 1C may utilize a distinct promoter compared to the other two.     

Molecular cloning and genomic structure of the betaTRCP2 gene on chromosome 5q35.1

Beta-catenin, IkappaBalpha, and HIV Vpu are recruited to the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway by betaTRCP, one of the components of the ubiquitin ligase complex. betaTRCP2, a related gene of betaTRCP, was cloned and characterized. Three isoforms, betaTRCP2A, betaTRCP2B, and betaTRCP2C, were identified. All of these betaTRCP2 isoforms consist of an F-box and seven WD repeats. Human betaTRCP2A shows 86% total amino acid identity with human betaTRCP. betaTRCP2 mRNA of 4.5 kb in size was detected almost ubiquitously. Sequence analyses on betaTRCP2 genomic clones revealed that the betaTRCP2 gene consists of at least 14 exons. Exons 1 and 4-14 are shared among all betaTRCP2 isoforms. betaTRCP2A of 508 amino acids lacks exons 2 and 3, betaTRCP2B of 529 amino acids contains exon 3, and betaTRCP2C of 542 amino acids contains exon 2. These results indicate that three betaTRCP2 isoforms are transcribed due to alternative splicing. The betaTRCP2 gene has been mapped to human chromosome 5q35.1 by fluorescence in situ hybridization.