THE MOUSE HOMOLOG OF PKD1 - SEQUENCE-ANALYSIS AND ALTERNATIVE SPLICING

We have cloned and sequenced the mouse transcript homologous to human polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1). The predicted protein is 79% ident ical to human PKD1 and shows the presence of most of the domains ident ified in the human sequence. Since the mouse homolog is transcribed fr om a unique gene and there are no transcribed, closely related copies as has been observed for human PKD1, we have been able to investigate alternative splicing of the transcript. At the junction of exons 12 an d 13, several different splicing variants lead to a predicted protein that would be secreted. These forms are predominantly found in newborn brain, while in kidney the transcript homologous to the previously de scribed human RNA predominates.