Independent deposition of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins and small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles at sites of transcription.
The major nuclear ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) involved in pre-mRNA processing are classified in broad terms either as small nuclear RNPs (snRNPs), which are major participants in the splicing reaction, or heterogeneous nuclear RNPs (hnRNPs), which traditionally have been thought to function in general pre-mRNA packaging. We obtained antibodies that recognize these two classes of RNP in Drosophila melanogaster. Using a sequential immunostaining technique to compare directly the distribution of these RNPs on Drosophila polytene chromosomes, we found that the two patterns were very similar qualitatively but not quantitatively, arguing for the independent deposition of the two RNP types and supporting a role for hnRNP proteins, but not snRNPs, in general transcript packaging.
Amero
S A
SA
Department of Microbiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville 22908.
Raychaudhuri
G
G
Cass
C L
CL
van Venrooij
W J
WJ
Habets
W J
WJ
Krainer
A R
AR
Beyer
A L
AL
D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D034441:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins; D009694:Nucleic Acid Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012332:RNA, Heterogeneous Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D034441:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins; D009694:Nucleic Acid Precursors; D012332:RNA, Heterogeneous Nuclear; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear