An amino-terminal variant of the central cannabinoid receptor resulting from alternative splicing

The cDNA sequences encoding the central cannabinoid receptor, CB1, are known for two species, rat and human. However, little information concerning the flanking, noncoding regions is presently available. We have isolated two overlapping clones from a human lung cDNA library with CB1 cDNA inserts. One of these, cann7, contains a short stretch of the CB1 coding region and 4 kilobase pairs (kb) of the 3'-untranslated region (UTR), including two polyadenylation signals. The other, cann6, is identical to cann7 upstream from the first polyadenylation signal, and in addition, it contains the whole coding region and extends for 1.8 kb into the 5'-UTR. Comparison of cann6 with the published sequence (Gérard, C. M., Mollereau, C., Vassart, G., and Parmentier, M. (1991) Biochem. J. 279, 129-134) shows the coding regions to be identical, but reveals important differences in the flanking regions. Notably, the cann6 sequence appears to be that of an immature transcript, containing 1.8 kb of an intronic sequence in the 5'-UTR. In addition, polymerase chain reaction amplification of the CB1 coding region in the IM-9 cell line cDNA resulted in two fragments, one containing the whole CB1 coding region and the second lacking a 167-base pair intron within the sequence encoding the amino-terminal tail of the receptor. This alternatively spliced form would translate to an NH2-terminal modified isoform (CB1A) of the receptor, shorter than CB1 by 61 amino acids. In addition, the first 28 amino acids of the putative truncated receptor are completely different from those of CB1, containing more hydrophobic residues. Rat CB1 mRNA is similarly alternatively spliced. A study of the distribution of the human CB1 and CB1A mRNAs by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed the presence of both CB1 and CB1A throughout the brain and in all the peripheral tissues examined, with CB1A being present in amounts of up to 20% of CB1.