GENOMIC ORGANIZATION OF THE MOUSE ADRENOCORTICOTROPIN RECEPTOR

As a step toward understanding the transcriptional regulation of the a drenocorticotropin receptor (ACTH-R) gene, we examined the full length cDNA sequence of the mouse ACTH-R by rapid amplification of cDNA ends , and the organization of the gene. Mouse ACTH-R mRNA consists of 374 bp in the 5'-untranslated region (UTR), 888 bp in the coding sequence, and 445 bp in the 3'-UTR, the 1707 bp being fairly compatible with th e 1.8-kb adrenal mRNA detected by Northern analysis. The mouse ACTH-R gene consists of at least four exons; the first three exons encode 5'- UTR and the fourth exon encodes part of 5'-UTR, the entire coding regi on, and the whole of 3'-UTR. We also defined two mRNA species, one wit h and one without the 57-bp exon 2, produced by alternative splicing.