Age and gender-dependent alternative splicing of P/Q-type calcium channel EF-hand

SY Chang, TF Yong, CY Yu, MC Liang, O Pletnikova… - Neuroscience, 2007 - Elsevier
SY Chang, TF Yong, CY Yu, MC Liang, O Pletnikova, J Troncoso, JM Burgunder, TW Soong
Neuroscience, 2007Elsevier
Cav2. 1 Ca2+ channels (P/Q-type), which participate in various key roles in the CNS by
mediating calcium influx, are extensively spliced. One of its alternatively-spliced exons is 37,
which forms part of the EF hand. The expression of exon 37a (EFa form), but not exon 37b
(EFb form), confers the channel an activity-dependent enhancement of channel opening
known as Ca2+-dependent facilitation (CDF). In this study, we analyzed the trend of EF hand
splice variant distributions in mouse, rat and human brain tissues. We observed a …
Cav2.1 Ca2+ channels (P/Q-type), which participate in various key roles in the CNS by mediating calcium influx, are extensively spliced. One of its alternatively-spliced exons is 37, which forms part of the EF hand. The expression of exon 37a (EFa form), but not exon 37b (EFb form), confers the channel an activity-dependent enhancement of channel opening known as Ca2+-dependent facilitation (CDF). In this study, we analyzed the trend of EF hand splice variant distributions in mouse, rat and human brain tissues. We observed a developmental switch in rodents, as well as an age and gender bias in human brain tissues, suggestive of a possible role of these EF hand splice variants in neurophysiological specialization. A parallel study performed on rodent brains showed that the data drawn from human and rodent tissues may not necessarily correlate in the process of aging.
Elsevier