Analyses of an orphan metabotropic receptor and a secretion protein encoded by the same gene

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Prrt3-Long is a member of family C metabotropic receptors whose ligand has not been identified yet. From the same Prrt3 gene, a secretion protein Prrt3-Short, which consists of only the N-terminal extracellular region of Prrt3-Long, is transcribed by splice variation. To obtain clues of their function, we raised specific antibodies and analyzed their expression pattern in the mouse. Prrt3-Long protein was observed to be expressed in the pars tuberalis where melatonin receptor is also known to be expressed. Prrt3-Short protein was observed to be expressed in the choroid plexus in the brain ventricles. From these expression patterns, it was suggested that Prrt3-Long possibly plays a role in the photoperiodism and that Prrt3-Short might be a humoral factor which regulates the brain function.