Elevated levels of the polyadenylation factor CstF 64 enhance formation of the 1kB Testis brain RNA-binding protein (TB-RBP) mRNA in male germ cells

The single copy mouse Testis Brain RNA-Binding Protein (TB-RBP) gene encodes three mRNAs of 3.0, 1.7, and 1.0 kb which only differ in their 3' UTRs. The 1 kb TB-RBP mRNA predominates in testis, while somatic cells preferentially express the 3.0 kb TB-RBP mRNA. Here we show that the 1 kb mRNA is translated several-fold more efficiently than the 3 kb TB-RBP in rabbit reticulocyte lysates and cells with elevated levels of the 1 kB TB-RBP mRNA express high levels of TB-RBP. To determine if the cleavage stimulatory factor CstF 64 can modulate the alternative splicing of the TB-RBP pre-mRNA and therefore TB-RBP expression, CstF 64 levels and binding to alternative polyadenylation sites were examined. CstF 64 is abundant in the testis and preferentially binds to a distal site in the TB-RBP pre-mRNA that produces the 3 kb TB-RBP. Moreover, upregulation or overexpression of CstF 64 increases the poly(A) site selection for the 1 kb TB-RBP mRNA. We propose that the level of the polyadenylation factor CstF 64 modulates the level of TB-RBP synthesis in male germ cells by an alternative processing of the TB-RBP pre-mRNA.     

A 3'' co-terminus of two early herpes simplex virus type 1 mRNAs.

A 3' co-terminus of two early herpes simplex virus type 1 mRNAs has been identified using the nuclease -S1 mapping procedure with cloned virus DNA probes. These mRNAs (5.0 kb and 1.2 kb), located within the genome region 0.56-0.60, are unspliced and are transcribed rightwards on the prototype genome orientation. The position of their 3' ends has been located on the virus DNA sequence and lies downstream from the polyadenylation signal 5'-AATAAA-3'. This hexanucleotide sequence also was present in the complementary DNA strand and was shown to be the polyadenylation signal for a leftwards-transcribed late mRNA. The abundance within the cytoplasm of the 5.0 kb and 1.2 kb mRNAs was investigated. Results indicated that these mRNAs were regulated in concert. It is suggested that sequences at the 3' co-terminus may be involved in their regulation.     

Differential expression of type-specific c-abl mRNAs in mouse tissues and cell lines.

The mammalian c-abl proto-oncogene produces mRNAs with 5' heterogeneity from two distinct promoters and the alternative splicing of variable 5' exons. By using quantitative RNase protection assays, the relative abundance of two major c-abl mRNAs, type I and type IV, in several mouse tissues and cell lines has been determined. Our results demonstrate that the level of type IV c-abl mRNA is rather constant, whereas that of the type I mRNA varies over a 10-fold range in different tissues and cell types. This finding has interesting implications for the function of the two c-abl proteins.     

A single mouse alpha-amylase gene specifies two different tissue-specific mRNAs

The alpha-amylase mRNAs which accumulate in two different tissues of the mouse, the salivary gland and the liver, are identical except for their 5' non-translated sequences: the 5' terminal 158 nucleotides of the major liver alpha-amylase mRNA are unrelated to the 5' terminal 47 nucleotides found in its salivary gland counterpart. DNA that specifies the 5'terminal one-quarter of these mRNAs has been isolated through genomic cloning and sequenced. The initial 161 nucleotides of the liver alpha-amylase mRNA are specified by DNA sequences that lie 4.5 kb upstream from those for the common body of the two mRNAs. In contrast, the 5' terminal 50 nucleotides of the salivary gland alpha-amylase mRNA are found 7.5 kb from sequences that the two mRNAs share in the genome. These cloned DNA sequences occur once per haploid genome, indicating that both the salivary gland and liver alpha-amylase mRNAs are transcribed from the same gene (Amy1A). Since no rearrangement of these DNA sequences can be detected among mouse sperm, salivary gland or liver preparations, gross rearrangement does not account for the tissue-specific pattern of expression observed for Amy1A. Rather, these data indicate that the salivary gland and liver alpha-amylase mRNAs are differentially transcribed and/or processed from identical DNA sequences in different tissues.     

Complete nucleotide sequence of the high molecular weight human IGF-I mRNA

IGF-I gene expression in mammals typically results in multiple mRNA species ranging in size between 0.7 and 7.6 kb. The smaller mRNA species have largely been characterized by the analysis of nearly full-length cDNAs. This report describes the first complete sequence of the prominent high molecular weight (7.6 kb) IGF-I mRNA species. Isolation and nucleotide sequence analysis of cDNA clones from human adult liver and uterus leiomyoma cDNA libraries resulted in a 7236 bp long sequence followed by a poly(A) tail. The sequence data, in combination with structural analysis of the human IGF-I gene, show that the 7.6 kb human IGF-I mRNA contains 6611 bp of untranslated 3' terminal sequence derived from a single exon. Alternate employment of two polyadenylation signals within the sequence transcribed from this exon generates two mRNAs of 1.1 and 7.6 kb.