Identification of alternative exons, including a novel exon, in the tyrosine kinase receptor gene Etk2/tyro3 that explain differences in 5' cDNA sequences.

Protein tyrosine kinase transmembrane receptors trigger signal transduction cascades upon ligand binding, resulting in cellular proliferation, differentiation, differentiation inhibition or apoptosis depending upon the cell target. The ETK2/TYRO3 receptor is a tyrosine kinase expressed in embryonic stem cells, brain and testis that has recently been cloned by several groups. Analysis of cDNA clones isolated from several tissues shows 2 isoforms of the Etk2/tyro3 gene product that result from usage of alternative exons near the 5' end of the gene. In addition, our data suggest that a third alternative exon is positioned between these two alternative exons. This novel exon encodes yet another isoform that predicts a unique amino-terminal protein sequence. The alternative exons (exons 2A, 2B and 2C), predict three isoforms with different initiation codons, signal sequences and lengths. The existence of these multiple isoforms may be important for protein processing, translocation, or function.