The role of the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) of the S-layer gene from Thermus thermophilus was analyzed through the isolation of Delta 5'UTR mutants. In these mutants the half-life of splA mRNA was strongly reduced and slpA transcription was no longer subjected to growth phase-dependent repression. Overproduction and detachment of the external envelopes of the mutants were observed in station...

The human insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) gene constitutes a complex transcriptional unit that contains nine exons and four promoters. Expression of the IGF-II gene yields a family of mRNAs that all encode prepro-IGF-II. In addition, a stable 1.8 kb RNA is formed that is derived from the 3' untranslated region of exon 9. Recently, we have shown that this RNA species arises by site-specif...

Regulation of cytoplasmic deadenylation has a direct impact on the fate of mRNA and, consequently, its expression in the cytoplasm. AU-rich elements (AREs) found in the 3' untranslated regions of many labile mRNAs are the most common RNA-destabilizing elements known in mammalian cells. AREs direct accelerated deadenylation as the first step in mRNA turnover. Recently we have proposed that AREs ...

MOTIVATION There are various cases where the biological function of an RNA molecule involves a reversible change of conformation. paRNAss is a software approach to the prediction of such structural switching in RNA. It is based on three hypotheses about the secondary structure space of a switching RNA molecule that can be evaluated by RNA folding and structure comparison. In the positive case, ...

MOTIVATION Evolutionary expansion of gene regulatory circuits seems to boost morphological complexity. However, the expansion patterns and the quantification relationships have not yet been identified. In this study, we focus on the regulatory circuits at the post-transcriptional level, investigating whether and how this principle may apply. RESULTS By analysing the structure of mRNA transcri...

RNA editing is a process that modifies RNA nucleotides and changes the efficiency and fidelity of the central dogma. Enzymes that catalyze RNA editing are required for life, and defects in RNA editing are associated with many diseases. Recent advances in sequencing have enabled the genome-wide identification of RNA editing sites in mammalian transcriptomes. Here, we demonstrate that canonical R...

Certain mutations isolated in the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) of the chloroplast rps7 gene in Chlamydomonas reduce expression of reporter genes. Second site suppressors in this 5'UTR sequence restore reporter expression. 5'UTR sequences with the original mutations fail to bind a 20-kD protein, one of five proteins that bind to leaders of several chloroplast genes. However, 5'UTRs from suppre...

An assay measuring RNA expression levels of a gene-encoded therapeutic must distinguish between endogenous mRNA and mRNA transcribed from the transgene. Specificity for the delivered transgene is especially critical when the treatment involves genes that are expressed in the target tissue. To facilitate uniform detection of transgene RNA without interference from endogenous mRNA, we have engine...

The final stages of female gamete maturation occur in the virtual absence of transcription, with gene expression driven by a program of selective unmasking, translation, and degradation of maternal mRNAs. Here we demonstrate that the timing of Ccnb1 mRNA translation in mouse oocytes is dependent on the presence of transcripts with different 3' untranslated regions (UTRs). This 3' UTR heterogene...

The brain produces two brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcripts, with either short or long 3' untranslated regions (3' UTRs). The physiological significance of the two forms of mRNAs encoding the same protein is unknown. Here, we show that the short and long 3' UTR BDNF mRNAs are involved in different cellular functions. The short 3' UTR mRNAs are restricted to somata, whereas the l...