Spliced leader RNAs from lower eukaryotes are trans-spliced in mammalian cells.

Exon sequences present on separate RNA molecules can be joined by trans-splicing in trypanosomatids, Euglena, and in the nematode and trematode worms. Trans-splicing involves an interaction between a 5' splice site present in a spliced leader RNA and a 3' splice site located near the 5' end of pre-messenger RNAs. In vitro trans-splicing of artificial mammalian pre-mRNAs has been reported, but the efficiency of splicing appears to depend on sequence complementarity between the two substrates. There has been speculation that some natural pre-mRNAs can be trans-spliced in mammalian cells in vivo, but alternative interpretations have not been ruled out. Here we show that spliced leader RNAs can be accurately trans-spliced in mammalian cells in vivo and in vitro. Both nematode and mammalian 3' splice sites can function as acceptors for trans-splicing in vivo. These results reveal functional conservation in the splicing machinery between lower eukaryotes and mammals, and they directly demonstrate the potential for trans-splicing in mammalian cells.     

Trans-spliced leader RNA exists as small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles in Caenorhabditis elegans

Maturation of some messenger RNAs in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans involves the acquisition of a 22-base leader at their 5' ends. This 22-base leader, called the spliced leader (SL), is derived from the 5' end of a precursor RNA of 90-100 bases, called spliced leader RNA (SL RNA). SL RNA is transcribed from a 1-kilobase DNA repeat which also encodes the 5S ribosomal RNA. A subset of mRNAs in C. elegans acquire SL from SL RNA by a trans-splicing mechanism. SL behaves as a 5' exon in the trans-splicing reaction. Using antisera against the Sm antigen that is associated with small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs), we precipitated SL RNA from extracts of C. elegans, indicating that it is bound by the Sm antigen in vivo. SL RNA also possesses the unique trimethylguanosine (m32,2,7G) cap characteristic of most small nuclear RNAs. Therefore, SL RNA is a chimaeric molecule, made up of an snRNA attached to a 5' exon and is a constituent of a snRNP.     

Construction of chimaeric processed immunoglobulin genes containing mouse variable and human constant region sequences

The specificity of monoclonal antibodies provides a powerful diagnostic and therapeutic tool in investigating human neoplasia. Radiological scanning and immunotherapy with mouse tumour-specific monoclonal antibodies have been applied to patients with some success, but a major problem is the neutralization of the mouse antibody induced by repeated administration of heterologous antibodies. To avoid or reduce such immune reactions, chimaeric immunoglobulins consisting of mouse variable (V) and human constant (C) regions can be synthesized. We have constructed a recombinant retrovirus DNA carrying genomic heavy-chain (H) variable-diversity joining (VH-D-JH) and C gamma 1 genes from different species and show here that the chimaeric intervening sequences are spliced out precisely. This procedure provides a useful method to construct the chimaeric mouse-human immunoglobulin gene to be expressed in Escherichia coli, yeast and animal cells. Unexpectedly, a hidden splice donor site in the 5'-flanking region of a human VH gene is used in place of the donor site of the leader sequence exon, resulting in the formation of the V region without the leader sequence.     

New components of the spliced leader RNP required for nematode trans-splicing

Pre-messenger-RNA maturation in nematodes and in several other lower eukaryotic phyla involves spliced leader (SL) addition trans-splicing. In this unusual RNA processing reaction, a short common 5' exon, the SL, is affixed to the 5'-most exon of multiple pre-mRNAs. The nematode SL is derived from a trans-splicing-specific approximately 100-nucleotide RNA (SL RNA) that bears striking similarities to the cis-spliceosomal U small nuclear RNAs U1, U2, U4 and U5 (refs 3, 4); for example, the SL RNA functions only if it is assembled into an Sm small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP). Here we have purified and characterized the SL RNP and show that it contains two proteins (relative molecular masses 175,000 and 30,000 (M(r) 175K and 30K)) in addition to core Sm proteins. Immunodepletion and reconstitution with recombinant proteins demonstrates that both proteins are essential for SL trans-splicing; however, neither protein is required either for conventional cis-splicing or for bimolecular (trans-) splicing of fragmented cis constructs. The M(r) 175K and 30K SL RNP proteins are the first factors identified that are involved uniquely in SL trans-splicing. Several lines of evidence indicate that the SL RNP proteins function by participating in a trans-splicing specific network of protein protein interactions analogous to the U1 snRNP SF1/BBP U2AF complex that comprises the cross-intron bridge in cis-splicing.     

马铃薯卷叶病毒中国分离株外壳蛋白基因及其上游先导序列的cDNA克隆和序列分析

按照马铃薯卷叶病毒（ＰＬＲＶ）核苷酸序列，针对ＣＰ基因及其上游基因间隔区全长约０．８ｋｂ的区段设计合成两个特异性引物，以马铃薯卷叶病毒中国分离株（ＰＬＲＶ－Ｃｈ）的ＲＮＡ为模板，反转录合成ＣＤＮＡ第一条链，再经ＰＣＲ扩增合成ｃＤＮＡ，将ＣＤＮＡ克隆于ｐＵＣ１９质粒．限制性酶切分析和核苷酸序列测定表明克隆的ＰＬＲＶ－Ｃｈ外壳蛋白（ＣＰ）基因及其上游基因间隔区的全长ＣＤＮＡ共８２４个核苷酸，与国外报道的４个ＰＬＲＶ分离株的核苷梳序列相比具有高度同源性．ＰＬＲＶ的外壳蛋白基因序列与其上游基因间隔区相比保守性更强．     

一种基于综合信息的剪接位点识别方法

为提高剪接位点识别的精度,提出一种基于综合信息的剪接位点识别方法.通过分析供体位点与受体位点的剪接信号、剪接序列、位点附近序列的二级结构,以及剪接因子作用过程等特征,分别为供体位点与受体位点建立信号模型和序列模型;应用Vienna软件中的Mfold包预测每个剪接位点附近序列最稳定的二级结构,将传统的四字符核酸表转化为八字符核酸表,每个序列用八字符进行描述,用结合了结构信息的序列对信号模型和序列模型进行训练学习;最后用训练好的模型进行剪接位点的识别.实验结果证明:该方法对剪接位点的识别取得了很好的效果,其识别精度可达95%以上.     

中华蜜蜂幼虫肠道响应球囊菌胁迫的可变剪切基因分析

基于前期已获得的中华蜜蜂(简称中蜂)幼虫肠道转录组数据,利用TopHat2软件在正常(AcCK)及球囊菌胁迫的中蜂幼虫肠道样品(AcT1、AcT2、AcT3)中共鉴定出发生于9124个基因的57327个可变剪切事件,其中以基因间(17.68%)、可变3′端剪切(15.32%)、外显子跨越(14.12%)和可变5′端剪切(12.81%)类型为主.Venn分析结果显示4个肠道样品的共有可变剪切基因数为8111个,特有可变剪切基因数分别为272、189和385个.GO分类结果显示共有可变剪切基因涉及47个条目,AcT1、AcT2、AcT3的特有可变剪切基因分别富集于24、20和34个条目.KEGG代谢通路富集分析结果显示,共有可变剪切基因富集在327个代谢通路,基因富集数最多的是RNA转运、内质网蛋白加工及核糖体;AcT1、AcT2、AcT3的特有可变剪切基因分别富集在22、46和83个代谢通路.结果揭示了可变剪切基因在宿主的胁迫响应过程中的重要作用.     

A role for branchpoints in splicing in vivo

The nucleotides immediately surrounding intron/exon junctions of genes transcribed by RNA polymerase B can be derived from 'consensus' sequences for donor and acceptor splice sites by only a few base changes. Studies in vivo have underlined the importance of these junction nucleotides for splicing. In higher eukaryotes, no evidence has been found for specific internal intron sequences involved in splicing. However, the recent discovery that, in vitro, introns are excised in a lariat form where the 5' end of the intron is joined via a 2'-5'-phosphodiester linkage to an A residue (branchpoint acceptor) close to the 3' end of the intron, suggests that internal intron sequences may nonetheless be important for splicing. Indeed, in yeast nuclear genes, the internal sequence 5'-TACTAAC-3' (or close homologue) is essential for splicing in vivo. A proposed consensus sequence for branchpoints in mammalian introns is 5'-CT(A/G)A(C/T)-3'. This sequence resembles the essential yeast internal sequence. Are branchpoints involved in the splicing of introns of higher eukaryotes in vivo? We show here that a branchpoint sequence from a human globin gene (5'-CTGACTCTCTCTG-3') greatly enhances the efficiency of splicing of a 'synthetic' intron in HeLa cells. A mutated branchpoint sequence, 5'-CTCCTCTCTCTG-3', in which the branchpoint acceptor nucleotide A has been deleted and the neighbouring purine G mutated to a C, does not exhibit this enhancing capability. We conclude that branchpoints have an important function in the splicing process in vivo.     

A 3' splice site-binding sequence in the catalytic core of a group I intron

Ribozymes use specific RNA-RNA interactions for substrate binding and active-site formation. Self-splicing group I introns have approximately 70 nucleotides constituting the core, a region containing sequences and structures indispensable for catalytic function. The catalytic core must interact with the substrates used for the two steps of the self-splicing reaction, that is, guanosine, the 5'-splice-site helix (P1) and the 3' splice site. Mutational evidence suggests that core sequences near segment J6/7 that joins the base-paired stems P6 and P7, and the bulged base of P7(5'), participate in binding guanosine substrate, but nothing is known about the interactions between the core, the 5'-splice-site helix and the 3' splice site. On the basis of comparative sequence data, it has been suggested that two specific bases in the catalytic core of group I introns might form a binding sequence for the 3' splice site. Here we present genetic evidence that such a binding site exists in the core of the Tetrahymena large subunit ribosomal RNA intron. We demonstrate that this pairing, termed P9.0, is functionally important in the exon ligation step of self-splicing, but is not itself responsible for 3'-splice-site selection.     

真核基因选择性剪接机理的初步研究

真核基因表达调控是生命科学研究的前沿、热点。RNA的选择性剪接在真核基因表达调控中起着十分重要的作用。该文从已有数据出发 ,对真核基因的剪接机制以及选择性剪接的机制进行了初步的研究。结果表明 ,在真核基因的剪接过程中 ,可能存在一种“粗定位—细定位”的过程 ,即在剪接过程中首先有一粗略的定位过程 ,根据序列的嘌呤、嘧啶浓度特征寻找出剪接位点的大致位置 ;然后在这一基础上 ,根据几个保守碱基所提供的信息找到准确的剪接位点。这一结果对于进一步研究真核基因的剪接机制 ,特别是选择性剪接发生的机理有很大的启发。