Fibronectin mRNA Splice Variant in Articular Cartilage Lacks Bases Encoding the V, III-15, and I-10 Protein Segments

Fibronectin is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein encoded by a single gene. Alternative RNA splicing has been reported at three sites, ED (extra type III domain)-A, ED-B, and the variable or V region. Articular cartilage fibronectin monomers are rarely (ED-A)+, but approximately 25% are (ED-B)+. R...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of biological chemistry 1996-08, Vol.271 (31), p.18954-18960
Main Authors: MacLeod, James N., Burton-Wurster, Nancy, Gu, Da Nian, Lust, George
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alternative Splicing
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Base Sequence
Cartilage, Articular - metabolism
DNA Primers - genetics
DNA, Complementary - genetics
Dogs
Fibronectins - chemistry
Fibronectins - genetics
Genetic Variation
Horses
In Vitro Techniques
Molecular Sequence Data
Molecular Structure
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Rabbits
RNA, Messenger - genetics
RNA, Messenger - metabolism
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
Species Specificity
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Summary:Fibronectin is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein encoded by a single gene. Alternative RNA splicing has been reported at three sites, ED (extra type III domain)-A, ED-B, and the variable or V region. Articular cartilage fibronectin monomers are rarely (ED-A)+, but approximately 25% are (ED-B)+. RNA gel electrophoresis and Northern blot analysis identified two (ED-B)+ and two (ED-B)− fibronectin transcripts in cartilage, each pair differing by ~750 bases. This difference results from a previously unreported RNA splicing pattern that eliminates not only the V region but also nucleotides encoding protein segments III-15 and I-10. This new splice variant, which we designate (V+C)−, represents the majority of fibronectin transcripts in equine, canine, and rabbit articular cartilage but is absent in the liver. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analyses of 11 additional equine tissues failed to detect the (V+C)− splice variant, except for very low levels in lymph node, bone, aorta, and skin. Furthermore, chondrocytes grown in monolayer culture maintain high levels of fibronectin expression but stop expressing (V+C)− transcripts over time. The tissue-specific expression pattern of this novel fibronectin isoform suggests that it may have an important function in the matrix organization of cartilage.
ISSN:0021-9258
1083-351X
DOI:10.1074/jbc.271.31.18954