Sea urchin small nuclear RNA genes are organized in distinct tandemly repeating units.

The genes coding for the two major small nuclear RNAs in the sea urchin are organized in independent tandem repeating units. The small nuclear RNAs, N1 and N2 were purified from gastrula embryos of Lytechinus variegatus. These RNAs are analogous to the U series of RNA in mammalian cells as judged by their identical 5' termini and the sequence homology of the N1 urchin RNA and U1 mouse RNA. These RNAs were polyadenylated with E. Coli adenylate transferase. A 32PO4 labeled copy of each RNA was made with RNA-dependent DNA polymerase. This copy was used to probe the gene organization of these RNAs by hybridizing to restriction enzyme digests of sperm DNA. Each of these RNAs is coded in a tandemly repeated cluster (at least 30 kb) with a repeat length of 1100-1400 bases. The N1 and N2 clusters are distinct. The N1 repeat has been cloned and the repeating organization confirmed with the cloned gene.     

Structure of the sea urchin U1 RNA repeat.

The genes coding for U1 RNA in the sea urchin L. variegatus are present in a 1400 base pair tandem repeat. One member of the repeat has been cloned and its sequence determined. The repeat unit contains a single copy of the gene for L. variegatus U1 RNA. This gene encodes an RNA which is 75% homologous to mammalian U1 RNA. The L. variegatus U1 RNA could assume a secondary structure similar to that proposed for other U1 RNAs. In addition the L. variegatus U1 RNA is precipitated by anti-SM and anti-RNP antisera. Analysis of the L. variegatus genomic DNA using the cloned U1 gene as a probe reveals a major and a minor type of repeat unit. The two repeated units are the same length but differ in a number of restriction enzyme sites clustered 200-500 bases down-stream from the gene. The monomer we have cloned and sequenced is a representative of the minor repeat. A sequence (GATAA) which is -41 to -37 bases 5' to the gene has homology to the putative RNA polymerase II promoter. Fifteen bases 3' of the gene is a sequence (CAAAGAAAGAAAA) which is very similar to the sequence found 3' of the sea urchin histone genes. The two Hha I, Hpa II and Ava I sites in the repeat are all unmethylated in sperm DNA.     

The nuclear 5S RNAs from chicken, rat and man. U5 RNAs are encoded by multiple genes

Preparations of chicken, rat and human nuclear 5S RNA contain two sets of molecules. The set with the lowest electrophoretic mobility (5Sa) contains RNAs identical or closely related to ribosomal 5S RNA from the corresponding animal species. In HeLa cells and rat brain, we only detected an RNA identical to the ribosomal 5S RNA. In hen brain and liver, we found other species differing by a limited number of substitutions. The results suggest that mutated 5S genes may be expressed differently according to the cell type. The set with the highest mobility corresponds to U5 RNA. In both rat brain and HeLa cells, U5 RNA was found to be composed of 4 and 5 different molecules respectively (U5A, U5B1-4) differing by a small number of substitutions or insertions. In hen brain, no U5B was detected but U5A' differing from U5A by the absence of the 3'-terminal adenosine. All the U5 RNAs contain the same set of modified nucleotides. They also have the same secondary structure which consists of two hairpins joined together by a 17 nucleotide long single-stranded region. The 3' half of the molecule has a compact conformation. Together, the results suggest that U5 RNAs are transcribed from a multigene family and that mutated genes may be expressed as far as secondary structure is conserved. The conformation of U5 RNA is likely to be related to its function and it is of interest to mention that several similarities of structure are found between U5 and U1A RNA.     

U1 small nuclear RNA genes are located on human chromosome 1 and are expressed in mouse-human hybrid cells.

The majority, and perhaps all, of the genes for human U1 small nuclear RNA (U1 RNA) were shown to be located on the short arm of human chromosome 1. These genes were mapped by Southern blot analysis of DNA from rodent-human somatic cell hybrids, using the 5' region of a human U1 RNA gene as a human-specific probe. This probe hybridized to DNA fragments present only in digests of total human DNA or to the DNAs of cell lines which contained human chromosome 1. The major families of human U1 RNA genes were identified, but some human genes may have gone undetected. Also, the presence of a few U1 RNA genes on human chromosome 19 could not be ruled out. In spite of the lack of extensive 5'-flanking-region homology between the human and mouse U1 RNA genes, the genes of both species were efficiently transcribed in the hybrid cells, and the U1 RNAs of both species were incorporated into specific ribonucleoprotein particles.     

High evolutionary conservation of the secondary structure and of certain nucleotide sequences of U5 RNA.

The nucleotide sequence of chicken, pheasant, duck and Tetrahymena pyriformis U5 RNAs as well as that of new mammalian variant U5 RNAs was determined and compared to that of rat and HeLa cells U5 RNAs. Primary structure conservation is about 95% between rat and human cells, 82% between mammals and birds and 57% between the Protozoan and mammals. The same model of secondary structure, a free single-stranded region flanked by two hairpins can be constructed from all RNAs and is identical to the model previously proposed for mammalian U5 RNA on an experimental basis (1). Thus, this model is confirmed and is likely to be that of an ancestor U5 RNA. The 3' region of the U5 RNA molecule constitutes domain A, and is common to U1, U2, U4 and U5 RNAs (2). The characteristic nucleotide sequences of domain A are highly conserved throughout the phylogenetic evolution of U5 RNA suggesting that they are important elements in the function of the four small RNAs. Another region of high evolutionary conservation is the top part of the 5' side hairpin whose conserved sequence is specific to U5 RNA. It might participate in the particular function of U5 RNA.     

Intracisternal A-particle genes: structure of adjacent genes and mapping of the boundaries of the transcriptional unit

Adjacent intracisternal A-particle (IAP) genes were identified in two different recombinant DNA clones, gamma 81 and gamma 19. In clone gamma 81, the most common form of IAP gene was separated by 5.3 kilobases from another IAP gene that had two apparent internal deletions. The two genes were in a head-to-tail configuration. In clone gamma 19, two different types of IAP genes were separated by less than 0.5 kilobase. Blot hybridization analysis of mouse DNA demonstrated that the DNA sequence found in clone gamma 81 is identical to the in vivo configuration. Using isolated DNA fragments from clone gamma 19, we mapped the boundaries of the IAP RNA by S1 digestion of RNA-DNA hybrids and by cDNA extension. With these techniques, both the 5' end and the 3' end of the IAP RNA in two different plasmacytomas (MOPC 315 and TEPC 15) were shown to fall within the long terminal direct repeat of the IAP gene. The fragment sizes generated by S1 digestion of IAP RNAs isolated from the two tumor lines were found to differ, indicating that different IAP genes may be transcribed in these two plasmacytomas.     

Control of mouse U1a and U1b snRNA gene expression by differential transcription.

The expression of mouse embryonic U1 snRNA (mU1b) genes is subject to stage- and tissue-specific control, being restricted to early embryos and adult tissues that contain a high proportion of stem cells capable of further differentiation. To determine the mechanism of this control we have sought to distinguish between differential RNA stability and regulation of U1 gene promoter activity in several cell types. We demonstrate here that mU1b RNA can accumulate to high levels in permanently transfected mouse 3T3 and C127 fibroblast cells which normally do not express the endogenous U1b genes, and apparently can do so without significantly interfering with cell growth. Expression of transfected chimeric U1 genes in such cells is much more efficient when their promoters are derived from a constitutively expressed mU1a gene rather than from an mU1b gene. In transgenic mice, introduced U1 transgenes with an mU1b 5' flanking region are subject to normal tissue-specific control, indicating that U1b promoter activity is restricted to tissues that normally express U1b genes. Inactivation of the embryonic genes during normal differentiation is not associated with methylation of upstream CpG-rich sequences; however, in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, the 5' flanking regions of endogenous mU1b genes are completely methylated, indicating that DNA methylation serves to imprint the inactive state of the mU1b genes in cultured cells. Based on these results, we propose that the developmental control of U1b gene expression is due to differential activity of mU1a and mU1b promoters rather than to differential stability of U1a and U1b RNAs.     

Modified 5′-termini in small nuclear RNAs of mouse myeloma cells

Nuclei of MPC 11 mouse myeloma cells contain several species of small RNAs related to those found in other mammalian cells. These include U1 RNA, about 190 nucleotides in length and U2 RNA, about 170 nucleotides long. The 5'-termini of 32P-labelled U1 and U2 RNAs have been investigated by a fingerprinting technique involving digestion with T2-ribonuclease. The RNAs were found to have modified 5'-terminal structures of the form m3G(5')ppp (5')AmpUmpAp for U1 RNA and m3G(5')ppp(5')AmpUmpCmpCp for U2 RNA, where m3G is N2, N27-trimethyl guanosine and Am and Um are 2'-O-methyl nucleosides. These 5'-terminal sequences are the same as those proposed for rat hepatoma U1 and U2 RNAs (Ro-Choi et al., Fed. Proc. 33, 1548, 1974) but with triphosphate rather than diphosphate links.     

Multiple copies of a bile acid-inducible gene in Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708.

Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708 is an anaerobic intestinal bacterium which possesses inducible bile acid 7-dehydroxylation activity. Several new polypeptides are produced in this strain following induction with cholic acid. Genes coding for two copies of a bile acid-inducible 27,000-dalton polypeptide (baiA1 and baiA2) have been previously cloned and sequenced. We now report on a gene coding for a third copy of this 27,000-dalton polypeptide (baiA3). The baiA3 gene has been cloned in lambda DASH on an 11.2-kilobase DNA fragment from a partial Sau3A digest of the Eubacterium DNA. DNA sequence analysis of the baiA3 gene revealed 100% homology with the baiA1 gene within the coding region of the 27,000-dalton polypeptides. The baiA2 gene shares 81% sequence identity with the other two genes at the nucleotide level. The flanking nucleotide sequences associated with the baiA1 and baiA3 genes are identical for 930 bases in the 5' direction from the initiation codon and for at least 325 bases in the 3' direction from the stop codon, including the putative promoter regions for the genes. An additional open reading frame (occupying from 621 to 648 bases, depending on the correct start codon) was found in the identical 5' regions associated with the baiA1 and baiA3 clones. The 5' sequence 930 bases upstream from the baiA1 and baiA3 genes was totally divergent. The baiA2 gene, which is part of a large bile acid-inducible operon, showed no homology with the other two genes either in the 5' or 3' direction from the polypeptide coding region, except for a 15-base-pair presumed ribosome-binding site in the 5' region. These studies strongly suggest that a gene duplication (baiA1 and baiA3) has occurred and is stably maintained in this bacterium.     

The virulent satellite RNA of turnip crinkle virus has a major domain homologous to the 3' end of the helper virus genome

RNA C (355 bases), RNA D (194 bases) and RNA F (230 bases) are small, linear satellite RNAs of turnip crinkle virus (TCV) which have been cloned as cDNAs and sequenced in this study. These RNAs produce dramatically different disease symptoms in infected plants. RNA C is a virulent satellite that intensifies virus symptoms when co-inoculated with its helper virus in turnip plants, while RNA D and RNA F are avirulent. RNA D and RNA F, the avirulent satellites, are closely related to each other except that RNA F has a 36-base insert near its 3' end, not found in RNA D. The 189 bases at the 5' end of RNA C, the virulent satellite, are homologous to the entire sequence of RNA D. However, the 3' half of RNA C, is composed of 166 bases which are nearly identical to two regions at the 3' end of the TCV helper virus genome. Hence, the virulent satellite is a composite molecule with one domain at its 5' end homologous to the other avirulent satellites and another domain at its 3' end homologous to the helper virus genome. All four TCV RNAs, RNAs C, D and F and the helper virus genome have identical 7 bases at their 3' ends. The secondary structure of RNA C deduced from the sequence can be folded into two separate domains — the domain of helper virus genome homology and the domain homologous to other TCV satellite RNAs. Comparative sequences of several different RNA C clones reveal that this satellite is a population of molecules with sequence and length heterogeneity.     

Isolation of an active gene and of two pseudogenes for mouse U7 small nuclear RNA

Three U7 RNA-related sequences were isolated from mouse genomic DNA libraries. Only one of the sequences completely matches the published mouse U7 RNA sequence, whereas the other two apparently represent pseudogenes. The matching sequence represents a functional gene, as it is expressed after microinjection into Xenopus laevis oocytes. Sequence variations of the conserved cis-acting 5' and 3' elements of U RNA genes may partly explain the low abundance of U7 RNA.