Alternative splicing of hepatitis B virus RNAs in HepG2 cells transfected with the viral DNA.
We identified a novel spliced RNA of 2.6 kb from a human hepatoma cell line HepG2 transfected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome. The splicing acceptor site of the novel 2.6-kb RNA (position 489) was shown to be common to that of the previously described 2.1-kb spliced RNA which codes for an altered core antigen lacking the carboxy-terminal amino acid, cysteine. However, the donor site of the 2.6-kb RNA is different from any of the spliced RNA reported and located at 538 nucleotides (nt) downstream of the donor site of the 2.1-kb RNA. Introduction of single-base change mutations in the consensus sequence of the donor site of the 2.1-kb RNA maintained the splicing by using the cryptic donor site. The amount of the 2.6-kb spliced RNA was unchanged by these mutations. These results suggest independent regulations for the synthesis of the 2.1- and 2.6-kb spliced RNAs.
Suzuki
T
T
Department of Enteroviruses, National Institute of Health, Tokyo, Japan.
Kajino
K
K
Masui
N
N
Saito
I
I
Miyamura
T
T
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D004247:DNA