Exon 3 of the alpha folate receptor gene contains a 5' splice site which confers enhanced ovarian carcinoma specific expression
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Using RNA-sequencing to Detect Novel Splice Variants Related to Drug Resistance in In Vitro Cancer Models
Published on: December 9, 2016
E Galmozzi1, A Tomassetti, S Sforzini
1Unit of Molecular Therapies, Department of Experimental Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.
Abstract:
The human folate receptor (FR) is overexpressed in ovarian carcinoma. FR transcripts are heterogeneous due to the use of two promoters, P1 and P4, and alternative splicing of exon 3. RNase protection assay and RT-PCR revealed higher levels of the transcripts that include exon 3 in lines and specimens from ovarian carcinoma. A P1-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) construct containing exon 3 demonstrated efficient reporter expression only in ovarian carcinoma. 5' and 3' deleted variants of the P1-CAT construct were analyzed by RT-PCR of the exogenous transcripts and reporter activity. A 5' splice site and 35 bp downstream intronic region of exon 3 appeared to regulate enhanced FR expression in ovarian carcinoma.
Related Concept Videos
RNA Splicing
RNA Splicing
Alternative RNA Splicing
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
Alternative RNA Splicing
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase

