Neurofibromatosis 2 gene has novel alternative splicings which controls intracellular protein binding

Three novel isoforms of the neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) gene transcripts generated from alternative splicing were identified from normal human brain, schwannoma and glioma tissues. The 3 novel transcripts lack exon 2, exons 2 and 3, exons 2-4, respectively. Recombinant isoform proteins encoded by those new transcripts have lost the previously reported ability to bind ³⁵S-methionine labeled cellular proteins. Two of seven glioblastoma tissues expressed significantly high levels of the shorter transcripts whereas low grade astrocytomas expressed levels similar to those found in normal brain, suggesting that genomic mutation or aberrant alternative splicing of the NF2 gene may contribute to the progression of malignant gliomas.