Characterization of the testes-specific pim-1 transcript in rat.
The pim-1 proto-oncogene encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase and is expressed in cells of hematolymphoid origin and in the germ cell lineages. In somatic cells, the pim-1 gene is expressed as a 2.8 kb transcript while a shorter sized transcript (2.3 kb) is expressed in rat testes. We have determined that the shorter testes-specific pim-1 transcript arises through the use of an alternate polyadenylation signal present in the 3' untranslated region of the gene. This alternate polyadenylation event results in the removal of an A/U-rich regulatory element located in the 3' untranslated region of the pim-1 gene. This A/U-rich motif has been shown by a number of laboratories to destabilize the transcripts of genes that contain this sequence. Consistent with these findings, we have demonstrated that the shortened testes-specific pim-1 transcript is more stable than the longer A/U-rich containing somatic transcript. We suggest that the functional significance of different sized pim-1 transcripts may be directly related to their different stabilities and that the greater stability of the testes-specific transcript may be essential for the translational delay observed in post-meiotic male germ cells.
Wingett
D
D
Department of Microbiology, Washington State University, Pullman 99164-4233.
Reeves
R
R
Magnuson
N S
NS
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011061:Poly A / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011061:Poly A; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C496637:Pim1 protein, rat; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1