真生物mRNA二级结构与内含子剪接

对６８个外显子－内含子－外显子序列片段以及相应的外显子－外显子序列片段的二级结构进行分析后发现,内含子５‘端和３’端的碱基Ｇ（剪拉位点）中大约９０％们一级结构的环区或是茎区的端部并靠近环,贿位于环区的Ｇ也多靠近环的基部;９２％的外显子拼接位点也有类似性质,约８２％的分枝点Ａ位于环区或环与茎的连接部位,折叠结构的形成使剪接位点和分枝点在空间上彼此靠近。     

真核生物mRNA二级结构与内含子剪接

对68个外显子-内含子-外显子序列片段以及相应的外显子-外显子序列片段的二级结构进行分析后发现,内含子5′端和3′端的碱基G(剪接位点)中大约90％位于二级结构的环区或是茎区的端部并靠近环,而且位于环区的G也多靠近环的基部;92％的外显子拼接位点也有类似性质. 约82％的分枝点A位于环区或环与茎的连接部位. 折叠结构的形成使剪接位点和分枝点在空间上彼此靠近.     

内含子的位置不影响转基因的表达

内含子在转基因动物的基因表达中具有重要作用,以乳清酸蛋白（ＷＡＰ）基因５′区为调控序列,人基因组Ｇ－ＣＳＦ基因为目的片段,将ＷＡＰ基因第一内含子插入Ｇ－ＣＳＦ基因５′端,构建成转基因动物乳腺表达载体。将其直接注射到小鼠乳腺,在泌乳期表达出人Ｇ－ＣＳＦ。表明内含子在５′端的位置不影响转基因的表达,同时也表明内含子对表达有一定的作用。     

水稻蜡质基因5‘非翻译区一个与调控有关的内含子

从发育的水稻种子中分离出ＲＮＡ,经ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ反应并结合顺序测定,在籼稻２３２蜡质基因编码区５‘上游非翻译区中证明确实存在一个长度为１１２６ｂｐ的内含子,其Ａ＋Ｔ碱基的含量高达６７．４％,它的边界符合真核基因内含子的ＧＴ－ＡＧ规则。表明该内含子与蜡质基因的表达调控有一定的关系。     

细菌第二类内含子与真核基因内含子的起源

细菌第二类内含子与真核基因内含子的起源吴大庆,吴大鹏（山东大学微生物所,济南２５０１００）（中国科学院微生物所,北京１０００８０）关键词第二类内含子,剪接体内含子,起源关于真核生物基因组内含子的起源有两种假说。Ｇｉｌｂｅｒｔ认为,ＲＮＡ剪接系统在生命...     

拟南芥AtJ3基因的克隆和分析

克隆并分析了拟南芥（Ａｒａｂｉｄｏｐｓｉｓｔｈａｌｉａｎａ（Ｌ．）Ｈｅｙｎｈ．）ＡｔＪ３的ｃＤＮＡ核苷酸序列,并证明其翻译产物与Ｅ．ｃｏｌｉ的ＤｎａＪ蛋白高度同源。ＡｔＪ３蛋白分子中具有全部这类蛋白的典型特征包括Ｊ结构域（ｄｏｍａｉｎ）、Ｇ或ＧＦ结构域、富含半胱氨酸的锌指结构域,Ｃ末端的ＣＡＱＱ是一个蛋白法尼基化信号。用ＡｔＪ３的ｃＤＮＡ序列末端非翻译区作探针,从拟南芥基因组文库中分离获得ＡｔＪ３基因。基因序列分析表明该基因是由被５个内含子分隔的６个外显子组成。根据Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交分析,ＡｔＪ３基因为单拷贝基因。Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ分析结果表明,ＡｔＪ３在子叶、叶、根、花及长角果中都表达。３５℃的热激能增加叶中ＡｔＪ３的ｍＲＮＡ表达     

番茄抗病基因Cf9的3‘UTR区含有内含子序列

从番茄抗病品种“中杂９号”基因组ＤＮＡ中扩增并克隆了番茄抗叶霉病基因Ｃｆ９。序列分析结果表明,该基因全长２７５１ｂｐ,含有一个编码８６３个氨基酸的开放阅读框架。在该基因的３＇ＵＴＲ区发现了一段未曾报道的内含子序列,长１１５ｂｐ,它所处的位置与番茄另一个抗叶霉病基因Ｃｆ２内含子的位置相似,其５＇和３＇边界序列为一重复序列,ＴＣＣＡＧＧ（Ｔ）ＡＴＴＣ,并与Ｃｆ２基因内含子边界序列高度同源。与已报道的Ｃ     

兔出血症病毒结构多肽分析

粗提病毒经Ｓｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅ４Ｂ层析后,获得纯化的兔出血症病毒（ＲＨＤＶ）。提纯病毒经过ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ经考马斯亮蓝染色显示Ａ、Ｂ、Ｃ、Ｄ、Ｅ、Ｆ和Ｇ７条多肽,凝胶扫描显示Ａ为ＲＨＤＶ主要结构多肽。用多抗和单抗作免疫转印分析,证实Ａ、Ｂ、Ｃ、Ｄ、Ｅ、和Ｇ为结构多肽,此６条结构多肽间的抗原关系十分密切。     

花的调节基因的开放和关闭

在动物和植物的生长过程中,调节基因决定细胞的最终发展方向。目前,许多调节基因的表达方式已经在时间和空间上被确定下来,比如在研究花的结构基因时所涉及到的花的调节基因。现在已经明确的花的结构基因有ＬＦＹ基因（ＬＥＡＦＹ基因）、ＡＰ１基因（ＡＰＥＴＡＬＡ１基因）和ＡＧ基因（ＡＧＡＭＯＵＳ基因）。其中,ＬＦＹ基因和ＡＰ１基因决定花的分生组织;ＡＧ基因负责控制雄蕊和心皮。那么,这些结构基因是如何受调节基因的控制？环境因素（比如日照时间）又是如何影响花的结构基因和调节基因的表达？目前已有两项研究对以上问题提…     

影响外源基因在原核中表达水平因素分析

为了预测外源基因在Ｅ．Ｃｏｌｉ中的表达水平,我们分析外源基因在固定载体Ｐｂｖ２２０中表达水平的实验数据,结合有关参考资料,提出预测外源基因表达水平的一组判据：在ＡＵＧ附近的ＲＮＡ二级结构能量,ＡＵＧ附近的密码子自适应指数,ＲＢＳ和ＡＵＧ距离及ＡＵＧ附近的构象。在表达实验前可利用这些判据对外源基因作改造以获得高效表达     

Antibodies specific for branched ribonucleic acids.

A chemically synthesized branched tetranucleotide, G3'p5'A [2'p5'G]3'p5'C corresponding to the consensus sequence at the branch point in introns undergoing RNA splicing, was used as a hapten to elicit antibranch antibodies. Binding assays with 32P-labeled hapten and unlabeled structurally related haptens indicated that the antibodies are highly specific for the branch structure and have some specificity for the A2'p5'G sequence at the branch point, but have essentially none for a variety of other 2'p5' or 3'p5' dinucleotides or for the linear trinucleotide G3'p5'A3'p5'C. Purification of these antibodies by binding to A2'p5'G covalently linked to Sepharose followed by covalent attachment of the purified antibodies to protein A-Sepharose has provided an adsorbent that immunospecifically retains branched oligonucleotides as well as branched introns released from RNAs during in vitro splicing.     

Splicing signals in Drosophila: intron size, information content, and consensus sequences.

A database of 209 Drosophila introns was extracted from Genbank (release number 64.0) and examined by a number of methods in order to characterize features that might serve as signals for messenger RNA splicing. A tight distribution of sizes was observed: while the smallest introns in the database are 51 nucleotides, more than half are less than 80 nucleotides in length, and most of these have lengths in the range of 59-67 nucleotides. Drosophila splice sites found in large and small introns differ in only minor ways from each other and from those found in vertebrate introns. However, larger introns have greater pyrimidine-richness in the region between 11 and 21 nucleotides upstream of 3' splice sites. The Drosophila branchpoint consensus matrix resembles C T A A T (in which branch formation occurs at the underlined A), and differs from the corresponding mammalian signal in the absence of G at the position immediately preceding the branchpoint. The distribution of occurrences of this sequence suggests a minimum distance between 5' splice sites and branchpoints of about 38 nucleotides, and a minimum distance between 3' splice sites and branchpoints of 15 nucleotides. The methods we have used detect no information in exon sequences other than in the few nucleotides immediately adjacent to the splice sites. However, Drosophila resembles many other species in that there is a discontinuity in A + T content between exons and introns, which are A + T rich.     

A catalogue of splice junction and putative branch point sequences from plant introns.

Splice junction and possible branch point sequences have been collected from 177 plant introns. Consensus sequences for the 5' and 3' splice junctions and for possible branch points have been derived. The splice junction consensus sequences were virtually identical to those of animal introns except that the polypyrimidine stretch at the 3' splice junction was less pronounced in the plant introns. A search for possible branch points with sequences related to the yeast, vertebrate and fungal consensus sequences revealed a similar sequence in plant introns.     

Conserved putative signals in 3' intron junctions in rodents

Several 3' splice signals are known todate. At the 3' splice site an AG doublet is frequently found. Just upstream of the splice site there is a string of 6-11 pyrimidines. More recently it has been found that one of the stages in the splicing process involves formation of a lariat, in which the 5' end of the intron forms a 2'-5' branch with an A residue located 18-37 nucleotides upstream of the 3' splice site. The branching-point consensus is weakly defined and consists of the sequence YNYTRAY, where Y is a pyrimidine, R a purine and N any base. The A in the sixth position is the one with which branching occurs. Here we present the results of extensive searches for additional putative signals around the branching-point consensus and the 3' splice site in rodent nuclear precursor mRNAs. The signals obtained for the over 370 rodent introns are compared with those found in a larger eukaryotic sample containing over 900 nuclear pre-mRNA introns. Of particular interest are GGGA and CCCA. In both analyses GGGA occurs about 60 nucleotides upstream and CCCA is found 3-40 nucleotides downstream from the 3' splice site. A model explaining some of the putative signals discussed here is also proposed. This model involves formation of alternate stem-loop structures around the branching point and 3' splice site. Such signals and structures can possibly aid in protein or nucleoprotein branching point and splice site recognition.     

Two reactions of Haloferax volcanii RNA splicing enzymes: joining of exons and circularization of introns

Archaeal RNA splicing involves at least two protein enzymes, a specific endonuclease and a specific ligase. The endonuclease recognizes and cleaves within a characteristic bulge-helix-bulge (BHB) structure formed by pairing of the regions near the two exon-intron junctions, producing 2',3'-cyclic phosphate and 5'-hydroxyl termini. The ligase joins the exons and converts the cyclic phosphate into junction phosphate. The ligated product contains a seven-base hairpin loop, in which the splice junction is in between the two 3' terminal residues of the loop. Archaeal splicing endonucleases are also involved in rRNA processing, cutting within the BHB structures formed by pairing of the 5' and 3' flanking regions of the rRNAs. Large free introns derived from pre-rRNAs have been observed as stable and abundant circular RNAs in certain Crenarchaeota, a kingdom in the domain Archaea. In the present study, we show that the cells of Haloferax volcanii, a Euryarchaeote, contain circular RNAs formed by 3',5'-phosphodiester linkage between the two termini of the introns derived from their pre-tRNAs. H. volcanii ligase, in vitro, can also circularize both endonuclease-cleaved introns, and non-endonuclease-produced substrates. Exon joining and intron circularization are mechanistically similar ligation reactions that can occur independently. The size of the ligated hairpin loop and position of the splice junction within this loop can be changed in in vitro ligation reactions. Overall, archaeal RNA splicing seems to involve two sets of two symmetric transesterification reactions each.     

Formation of lariats and circles in self-splicing of the precursor to the large ribosomal RNA of yeast mitochondria

Self-splicing of the precursor to large ribosomal RNA of yeast mitochondria leads not only to circles but also to lariats, structures that have not been observed before as products of self-splicing. Lariats were studied by electron microscopy after hybridization with an RNA complementary to the 3' half of the precursor. This leads to differentiation in at least two classes of lariats that vary in the position of the branch point. In all lariats the tail carries the 3' end, which suggests that a 5' end is used for branch formation with an internal nucleotide. The circles are formed from excised introns. They lack only three nucleotides encoded by mitochondrial DNA along with the 5'-terminal G added in the course of self-splicing. The diverse number of self-splicing products arising in vitro testifies to the considerable reactivity of this intron. The formation of lariats in an RNA catalyzed reaction may have implications for views on the mechanism of splicing of nuclear pre-mRNAs.     

Intron splicing: a conserved internal signal in introns of Drosophila pre-mRNAs.

The introns of Drosophila pre-mRNAs have been analysed for conserved internal sequence elements near the 3' intron boundary similar to the T-A-C-T-A-A-C in yeast introns and the C/T-T-A/G-A-C/T in introns of other organisms. Such conserved internal elements are the 3' splice signals recognized in intron splicing. In the lariat splicing mechanism, the G at the 5' end of an intron joins covalently to the last A of a 3' splice signal to form a branch point in a splicing intermediate. Analysis of 39 published sequences of Drosophila introns reveals that potential 3' splice signals with the consensus C/T-T-A/G-A-C/T are present in 18 cases. In 17 of the remaining cases signals are present which vary from this consensus just in the middle or last position. In Drosophila introns the 3' splice signal is usually located in a discrete region between 18 and 35 nucleotides upstream from the 3' splice point. We note that the Drosophila small nuclear U2-RNA has sequences complementary to C-T-G-A-T, one variant of the signal, and to C-A-G, one variant of the 3' terminus of an intron. We also note that the absence of any A-G between -3 and -19 from the 3' splice point may be an essential feature of a strong 3' boundary.     

Recognition elements for 5' exon substrate binding to the Candida albicans group I intron

A group I intron precursor and ribozyme were cloned from the large subunit rRNA of the human pathogen Candida albicans. Both the precursor and ribozyme are functional as determined from in vitro assays. Comparisons of dissociation constants for oligonucleotide binding to the ribozyme and to a hexanucleotide mimic of its internal guide sequence lead to a model for recognition of the 5' exon substrate by this intron. In particular, tertiary contacts with the P1 helix that help align the splice site include three 2'-hydroxyl groups, a G.U pair that occurs at the intron's splice junction, and a G.A pair. The free energy contribution that each interaction contributes to tertiary binding is determined. When the G.A pair is replaced with a G-C pair, tertiary interactions to 5' exon mimic 2'-hydroxyl groups are significantly weakened. When the G.A pair is replaced with a G.U pair, tertiary interactions are retained and binding is 10-fold tighter. These results expand our knowledge of substrate recognition by group I introns, and also provide a basis for rational design of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics for targeting group I introns by binding enhancement by tertiary interactions and suicide inhibition strategies.     

A mutational analysis of U12-dependent splice site dinucleotides

Introns spliced by the U12-dependent minor spliceosome are divided into two classes based on their splice site dinucleotides. The /AU-AC/ class accounts for about one-third of U12-dependent introns in humans, while the /GU-AG/ class accounts for the other two-thirds. We have investigated the in vivo and in vitro splicing phenotypes of mutations in these dinucleotide sequences. A 5' A residue can splice to any 3' residue, although C is preferred. A 5' G residue can splice to 3' G or U residues with a preference for G. Little or no splicing was observed to 3' A or C residues. A 5' U or C residue is highly deleterious for U12-dependent splicing, although some combinations, notably 5' U to 3' U produced detectable spliced products. The dependence of 3' splice site activity on the identity of the 5' residue provides evidence for communication between the first and last nucleotides of the intron. Most mutants in the second position of the 5' splice site and the next to last position of the 3' splice site were defective for splicing. Double mutants of these residues showed no evidence of communication between these nucleotides. Varying the distance between the branch site and the 3' splice site dinucleotide in the /GU-AG/ class showed that a somewhat larger range of distances was functional than for the /AU-AC/ class. The optimum branch site to 3' splice site distance of 11-12 nucleotides appears to be the same for both classes.     

Introns and splicing elements of five diverse fungi

Genomic sequences and expressed sequence tag data for a diverse group of fungi (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Aspergillus nidulans, Neurospora crassa, and Cryptococcus neoformans) provided the opportunity to accurately characterize conserved intronic elements. An examination of large intron data sets revealed that fungal introns in general are short, that 98% or more of them belong to the canonical splice site (ss) class (5'GU...AG3'), and that they have polypyrimidine tracts predominantly in the region between the 5' ss and the branch point. Information content is high in the 5' ss, branch site, and 3' ss regions of the introns but low in the exon regions adjacent to the introns in the fungi examined. The two yeasts have broader intron length ranges and correspondingly higher intron information content than the other fungi. Generally, as intron length increases in the fungi, so does intron information content. Homologs of U2AF spliceosomal proteins were found in all species except for S. cerevisiae, suggesting a nonconventional role for U2AF in the absence of canonical polypyrimidine tracts in the majority of introns. Our observations imply that splicing in fungi may be different from that in vertebrates and may require additional proteins that interact with polypyrimidine tracts upstream of the branch point. Theoretical protein homologs for Nam8p and TIA-1, two proteins that require U-rich regions upstream of the branch point to function, were found. There appear to be sufficient differences between S. cerevisiae and S. pombe introns and the introns of two filamentous members of the Ascomycota and one member of the Basidiomycota to warrant the development of new model organisms for studying the splicing mechanisms of fungi.