Structure and organization of the Drosophila cholinergic locus

Toshihiro Kitamoto; Weiya Wang; Paul M Salvaterra

doi:10.1074/jbc.273.5.2706

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Structure and organization of the Drosophila cholinergic locus

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Structure and organization of the Drosophila cholinergic locus

Toshihiro Kitamoto, Weiya Wang and Paul M Salvaterra

The Journal of biological chemistry, Vol.273(5), pp.2706-2713

01/30/1998

DOI: 10.1074/jbc.273.5.2706

PMID: 9446576

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Abstract

The Drosophila cholinergic locus is composed of two distinct genetic functions: choline acetyltransferase (ChAT; EC 2.3.1.6), the enzyme catalyzing biosynthesis of neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), and the vesicular ACh transporter (VAChT), the synaptic vesicle membrane protein which pumps transmitter into vesicles. Both genes share a common first exon and the remainder of the VAChT gene contains a single coding exon residing entirely within the first intron of ChAT. RNase protection analysis indicates that all Drosophila VAChT specific transcripts contain the shared first exon and suggests common transcriptional control for ChAT and VAChT. Similar types of genomic organization have been evolutionarily conserved for cholinergic loci in nematodes and vertebrates, and may operate to ensure coordinate expression of these functionally related genes in the same cells. The relative levels of Drosophila ChAT and VAChT mRNA differ, however, in different tissues or in Cha mutants, indicating that independent regulation of ChAT and VAChT transcripts may occur post-transcriptionally. The predicted Drosophila VAChT protein is composed of 578 amino acids and contains 12 conserved putative transmembrane domains. Full-length VAChT cDNA is 7.2 kilobase long and has unusually long 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions (UTR). The 5'-UTR contains a GTG ChAT translational initiation codon along with three other potential ATG initiation codons. These features of the VAChT 5'-UTR region suggest that a ribosome scanning model may not be used for VAChT translation initiation.

RNA Precursors - chemistry

Species Specificity

Exons

DNA, Complementary - genetics

Genomic Library

Molecular Sequence Data

Drosophila melanogaster - genetics

Choline O-Acetyltransferase - biosynthesis

Cholinergic Fibers

Base Sequence

Nerve Tissue Proteins - biosynthesis

Transcription, Genetic

Nucleic Acid Conformation

Choline O-Acetyltransferase - genetics

Vesicular Transport Proteins

Amino Acid Sequence

Drosophila Proteins

Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins

RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional

Introns

Carrier Proteins - biosynthesis

RNA Precursors - genetics

Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics

Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Carrier Proteins - genetics

Animals

Membrane Transport Proteins

Protein Conformation

Details

Title: Subtitle: Structure and organization of the Drosophila cholinergic locus
Creators: Toshihiro Kitamoto - Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA
Weiya Wang
Paul M Salvaterra
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: The Journal of biological chemistry, Vol.273(5), pp.2706-2713
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.273.5.2706
PMID: 9446576
NLM abbreviation: J Biol Chem
ISSN: 0021-9258
eISSN: 1083-351X
Publisher: United States
Language: English
Date published: 01/30/1998
Academic Unit: Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Anesthesia; Neuroscience and Pharmacology
Record Identifier: 9984006343802771

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