Multiple gene transcripts of the somatostatin receptor SSTR2: tissue selective distribution and cAMP regulation

The rodent SSTR2 mRNA has been reported to be alternatively spliced to generate long (SSTR2A) and short (SSTR2B) receptor isoforms which differ in sequence at their C-terminal regulatory domains. By extending the 3' nucleotide sequence of the human gene (hSSTR2) we show highly conserved intron/exon boundaries suggesting that hSSTR2 is also capable of generating spliced variants. mRNA blots of rat tissues reveal 2 transcripts of 2.8 and 2.3 kb that are differentially expressed in brain regions and multiple peripheral organs. The 2.3 kb mRNA is preferentially expressed in pituitary tumor cells (AtT-20 mouse, GH3 rat, human prolactinoma, human somatotroph adenoma), but not in rat or human insulinoma cells. This transcript shows 4 fold induction by forskolin in AtT-20 cells suggesting cAMP dependent control of SSTR2 gene expression. The abundant expression of SSTR2 gene, the occurrence of 2 isoforms and evidence of extensive regulation at both gene and peptide levels, suggests that SSTR2 is the principal SST-14 selective subtype.