Structure of the human VIPR2 gene for vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor type 2

The VPAC(2) (vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)(2)) receptor is a seven-tr ansmembrane spanning G protein-coupled receptor which responds similarly to VIP and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) in stim ulating cAMP production. Recently, we reported the localisation of the huma n VPAC(2) receptor gene (VIPR2) to chromosome 7q36.3 (Mackay, M. et al. (19 96) Genomics 37, 345-353). Here, we describe the characterisation of the VI PR2 gene structure and promoter region. The VIPR2 gene is encoded by 13 exo ns, the initiator codon of the 438 amino acid open reading frame is located in exon 1 and the termination signal and a poly-adenylation signal sequenc e are located in exon 13. The 5' untranslated region extends 187 bp upstrea m of the initiator codon and is extremely GC-rich (80%), The poly-adenylati on signal is located 2416 bp downstream of the stop codon, Intron sizes ran ge from 68 hp (intron 11) to 45 kb (intron 4) and the human gene spans 117 kb. (C) 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.