Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Emeritus Professor Nick Europe-Finner
Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.
We have shown previously that expression of 46 and 54 kDa human myometrial Gα(s) protein isoforms is increased during gestation and then subsequently decreased during labour. These proteins appear to be coded for by Gα(s)-Small (with a serine residue at position 72) and Gα(s)-Large (with a serine residue at position 87) mRNA splice variants respectively. In the study presented here we have used a Gα(s) cDNA template to generate [32P]cytidine cRNA riboprobes for use in RNase protection assays, so as to measure total myometrial Gα(s) mRNA levels in relation to the pattern of expression of Gα(s) mRNA splice variants during pregnancy and labour. We report that total levels of human myometrial Gα(s) mRNA remain similar in non-pregnant and pregnant women but are substantially reduced during parturition. Our data also provide strong evidence that alternative splicing of Gα(s) precursor mRNA has a primary role in regulating expression of Gα(s) protein isoforms during pregnancy and labour. The inclusion of an additional serine codon in Gα(s) mRNAs during pregnancy involves a switch in alternative splicing pathways. We speculate that this switch may be due to a change in specificity of splicing factors that are modulated during pregnancy and labour.
Author(s): Europe-Finner GN, Phaneuf S, Cartwright E, Mardon HJ, Lopez Bernal A
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Molecular Endocrinology
Year: 1997
Volume: 18
Issue: 1
Pages: 15-25
Print publication date: 01/02/1997
ISSN (print): 0952-5041
ISSN (electronic): 1479-6813
Publisher: BioScientifica Ltd.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1677/jme.0.0180015
DOI: 10.1677/jme.0.0180015
PubMed id: 9061603
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric