Identification of a tachykinin NK2 receptor splice variant and its expression in human and rat tissues

The tachykinins substance P, neurokinin A and neurokinin B are implicated in different diseases and play an important role in neuroimmunomodulation. These peptides interact with three distinct types of tachykinin receptors termed NK1, NK2, and NK3. While most mammalian genes encoding G protein-coupling cell membrane receptors are intron-less, the three tachykinin receptors contain introns in their genomic structures. In the present study, we have identified a splice variant of the tachykinin NK2 receptor that results from skipping of exon 2 in the processing of the tachykinin NK2 receptor mRNA. By using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis, we observed that the tachykinin NK2 receptor splice variant, that we named NK(2)beta, appeared in different human and rat tissues that also express the wild type, tachykinin NK(2)alpha isoform. Compared to tachykinin receptor NK(2)alpha isoform mRNA levels, the NK(2)beta isoform was strongly expressed in human and rat uteri, expressed in a moderate degree in the rat urinary bladder, colon, duodenum and stomach and unexpressed in the rat cerebral cortex, kidney, thoracic aorta, skeletal muscle and heart. These data describe the first known tachykinin receptor splice variant and suggest that the variety of tachykinin receptors may be further expanded through the generation of splicing isoforms. The presence of the truncated isoform may have a physiological significance in the regulation of tachykinin NK2 receptor protein levels. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.