Ordered splicing of thymidine kinase pre-mRNA during the S phase of the cell cycle.
Concomitant with the onset of S phase, a series of thymidine kinase (TK) splicing intermediates as well as mature TK mRNA accumulates in the nucleus of BALB/c 3T3 cells. Most of the TK splicing intermediates are retained by oligo(dT)-cellulose chromatography, and, therefore, 3' end formation and polyadenylation probably precede the splicing of TK pre-mRNAs. We have further characterized the TK pre-mRNAs that are present in the nuclei of S-phase cells by using specific probes derived from each of the six TK intervening sequences. Based on the sizes of the pre-mRNAs and their patterns of hybridization with these intron probes, we propose a pathway for intron removal from nascent TK transcripts. Intron excision occurred by a preferred, but not necessarily obligatory, order which appears to have been conserved in mouse and Chinese hamster cells.
Division of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
J M
JM
Gudas
G B
GB
Knight
A B
AB
Pardee
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D007399:Interphase; D007438:Introns; D051379:Mice; D009694:Nucleic Acid Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D012326:RNA Splicing; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
D009694:Nucleic Acid Precursors; D013937:Thymidine Kinase