Slit Homolog 3 (Slit3)

The SLIT3 cDNA encodes a 1,523-amino acid polypeptide with 41.1% similarity to the Drosophila 'slit' protein. Northern blot analysis revealed that the human SLIT3 gene was expressed as a major 5.5- and a minor 9.5-kb transcript primarily in the thyroid. SLIT1 and SLIT2 mRNAs were primarily expressed in the brain and spinal cord, respectively. In situ hybridization studies indicated that the rat Slit1 mRNA was specifically expressed in the neurons of fetal and adult forebrains. These data suggested that the SLIT genes form an evolutionarily conserved group in vertebrates and invertebrates, and that the mammalian SLIT proteins may participate in the formation and maintenance of the nervous and endocrine systems by protein-protein interactions.