Abstract
Multiple dystrophin Dp71 isoforms have been identified in rats, mice, and humans and in several cell line models. These Dp71 isoforms are produced by the alternative splicing of exons 71 to 74 and 78 and intron 77. Three main groups of Dp71 proteins are defined based on their C-terminal specificities: Dp71d, Dp71f, and Dp71e. Dp71 is highly expressed in the brain and retina; however, the specific isoforms present in these tissues have not been determined to date. In this work, we explored the expression of Dp71 isoforms in the mouse brain and retina using RT-PCR assays followed by the cloning of PCR products into the pGEM-T Easy vector, which was used to transform DH5α cells. Dp71-positive colonies were later analyzed by PCR multiplex and DNA sequencing to determine the alternative splicing. We thus demonstrated the expression of Dp71 transcripts corresponding to Dp71, Dp71a, Dp71c, Dp71b, Dp71ab, Dp71 Δ110, and novel Dp71 isoforms spliced in exon 74; 71 and 74; 71, 73 and 74; and 74 and 78, which we named Dp71d Δ74 , Dp71d Δ71,74 , Dp71d Δ71,73–74 , and Dp71f Δ74 , respectively. Additionally, we demonstrated that the Dp71d group of isoforms is highly expressed in the brain, while the Dp71f group predominates in the retina, at both the cDNA and protein levels. These findings suggest that distinct Dp71 isoforms may play different roles in the brain and retina.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Dr. Dominique Mornet (PhyMedExp, University of Montpellier, INSERM U1046, CNRS UMR 9214, 34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France) for kindly providing H4 and 5f3 antibodies and Dr. Manuel Hernandez (CINVESTAV, Mexico City, Mexico) for β-actin antibody. We also want to thank Dr. Griselda Rodríguez-Martínez, MVZ Ricardo Gaxiola-Centeno, Clemencia Salas and Arturo Rojas-Rodríguez for their technical support and JV Barnier for providing comments on the manuscript.
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Mice of the C57BL/6J strain (JANVIER, France) were handled according to the ARVO Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research and to the federal and local regulations approved by CINVESTAV-UPEAL and Mexican Official Norm (NOM-062-ZOO-1999).
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This work was supported by grants from Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT): CB-2009-127600 and CB-2013-222054 to CM, SEP-CONACyT-ECOS-ANUIES: M11-S02 B000/064/12 208680 to CM and AR, Association Française contre les Myopathies (AFM): 14853 to AR and 17117 to CV, and Agence Nationale de la Recherche: ANR-14-CE13-0037-01 to CV and fellowships from CONACyT: 280839 to MGR and from AFM: 14768 to OV.
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Aragón, J., González-Reyes, M., Romo-Yáñez, J. et al. Dystrophin Dp71 Isoforms Are Differentially Expressed in the Mouse Brain and Retina: Report of New Alternative Splicing and a Novel Nomenclature for Dp71 Isoforms. Mol Neurobiol 55, 1376–1386 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-017-0405-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-017-0405-x