Alternative splicing of the Anopheles gambiae nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, Agam alpha beta 9, generates both alpha and beta subunits

作者：Jones Andrew K^*; Buckingham Steven D; Brown Laurence A; Sattelle David B

来源：Invertebrate Neuroscience, 2009, 9(2): 77-84.

DOI：10.1007/s10158-009-0089-7

• Alternative splicing
• Anopheles gambiae
• Ion channel
• Malaria mosquito
• Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are the members of the cys-loop ligand-gated ion channel superfamily and are formed by five subunits arranged around a central ion channel. Each subunit is encoded by a separate gene and is classified as either alpha or non-alpha depending on the presence or absence, respectively, of two adjacent cysteine residues which are important for acetylcholine binding. Here, we report for the first time a single nAChR gene encoding both alpha and non-alpha subunits. Specifically, alternative splicing of the Anopheles gambiae nAChR subunit, previously called Agam alpha 9 and renamed here Agam alpha beta 9, generates two variants, one possessing the two cysteines (denoted Agam alpha beta 9(alpha)) and the other lacking the cysteine doublet (Agam alpha beta 9(beta)). Attempts to heterologously express functional nAChRs consisting of the Agam alpha beta 9 splice variants in Xenopus laevis oocytes were unsuccessful. Our findings further characterise a potential target to control the malaria mosquito as well as provide insights into the diversification of nAChRs.

• 出版日期2009-11