ACYP1 gene possesses two alternative splicing forms that induce apoptosis

In human cell lines two products of the ACYP1 gene were detected by RT-PCR. In addition to the expected amplicon corresponding to the CT form of acylphosphatase (320 bp) a second unexpected one (400 bp) was characterized as the result of an alternative splicing in which an extra 79 bp long exon is inserted between the two known exons. This new product, indicated as CTsv, was cloned and expressed. We performed the ectopic expression of the two alternative splicing forms. Both CT and CTsv products were able to induce a proapoptotic effect when expressed in HeLa cell line, despite the fact that the CTsv protein did not show any acylphosphatase activity.