The receptor for advanced glycosylation end products (RAGE) is an integral membrane protein responsible for the recognition and internalization of those extensively modified proteins. The receptor has an extracellular domain that binds to the advanced glycosylation end products. By reverse-transcription and polymerase chain reaction amplification, we have identified in rat liver and kidney two amplified products that correspond to cDNA coding for a part of the extracellular domain of the receptor. Sequencing of these products showed that these amplified molecules were similar except for a 27-bp fragment that was absent in the smaller product. This spliced region is located close to the transmembrane region of the receptor. We have confirmed the possibility of the alternative splicing in the generation of these mRNA isoforms by cloning a fragment of the rat gene for RAGE. This fragment has a distribution of introns and exons fully compatible with the proposed alternative splicing.
Copyright 1998 Academic Press.