GENOMIC STRUCTURE AND TRANSCRIPTION OF A MURINE ODORANT RECEPTOR GENE- DIFFERENTIAL INITIATION OF TRANSCRIPTION IN THE OLFACTORY AND TESTICULAR CELLS

We have characterized genomic structure and transcription of a murine odorant receptor (OR) gene, MOR23. This gene has two distinct transcri ptional initiation regions, which are differentially utilized in the o lfactory and testicular cells. We have found that the MOR23 gene has a n intron within the 5'-untranslated region upstream of the coding sequ ence. In olfactory cells, transcription of the gene is initiated in th e region upstream of this intron, while in testicular cells, transcrip tion starts within the intron. Differential initiation of transcriptio n is discussed in the context of tissue-specific expression of the OR genes. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.