Genomic organization, chromosomal localization, and expression of the murine RAB3D gene

Rab proteins, members of the Res superfamily of small GTPases, play regulat ory roles in intercompartmental vesicular transport. Each step of traffic s eems to require the participation of at least one distinct Rab, with the Ra b3 subfamily involved in stimulated exocytosis. We report our studies on th e murine rab3D gene, one of the four mammalian Rab3 isoforms. We located th is gene on chromosome 13, region A(2-3). The rab3D gene consists of 5 exons spanning 10.6 kb, and the structural gene is contained in exons 2 through 5 with one canonical GTP-binding motif in each exon. Organization of the ra b3D gene is identical to that of rab3A but different from other rob genes, Alternative poly-A(+) signals in the 3' untranslated region account for the identities of multiple transcripts detected by Northern blot analysis, Rab 3D is expressed in all tissues studied, predominantly in heart, lung, and l iver, and binding sites for multiple transcription factors are found in the TATA-less promoter region. (C) 2000 Academic Press.