Exon-intron organization of the human 5-HT3A receptor gene

The gene structure of the human 5-HT3A receptor gene was analyzed by exon t o exon polymerase chain reaction and subsequent sequencing. The results wer e confirmed by restriction analysis and genomic Southern blotting. The codi ng region of the human gene was found to be split by eight introns at ident ical positions as in the murine 5-HT3A receptor gene. All exon-intron bound aries exhibited fully conserved splice donor and acceptor consensus sequenc es. The alternative splice acceptor in intron eight of the murine gene was not found in the human counterpart. The length of particular introns differ s markedly from the murine gene. With the exception of intron 5, all human introns are longer than their murine counterparts. From the start to the st op codon the human gene stretches over about 14.5 kb. The human exon sequen ces confirm one of three published human 5-HT3A receptor cDNA sequences. Kn owledge of the gene structure, including 1.9 kb of the 5' noncoding region, all introns and the exon-intron boundaries of the human 5-HT3A receptor ge ne should facilitate investigation of its potential role in psychiatric dis orders. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.