title: Plant pre-mRNA splicing and splicing components.
abstract: Pre-mRNA splicing or the removal of introns from precursor messenger RNAs depends on the accurate recognition of intron sequences by the plant splicing machinery. The major components of this machinery are small nuclear ribonucleoprotein protein particles (snRNPs) which consist of snRNAs and snRNP proteins. We have analysed various aspects of intron sequence and structure in relation to splice site selection and splicing efficiency and we have cloned snRNA genes and a gene encoding the snRNP protein, U2B". In the absence of an in vitro splicing system for plants, transient expression in protoplasts and stable plant transformations have been used to analyse splicing of intron constructs. We aim to address the function of the UsnRNP-specific protein, U2B", via the production of transgenic plants expressing antisense U2B" transcripts and epitope-tagged U2B" protein. In addition, we have cloned genes encoding other proteins which potentially interact with RNA, such as RNA helicases, and strategies involving transgenic plants are being developed to analyse their function.
authors.affiliation: Cell and Molecular Genetics Department, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, U.K.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Turnbull-Ross
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000235:genetics*; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear / Q000235:genetics; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017381:Spliceosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D012322:RNA Precursors; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D004247:DNA