title: Gene encoding human Ro-associated autoantigen Y5 RNA.
abstract: Ro ribonucleoproteins are composed of Y RNAs and the Ro 60 kDa protein. While the Ro 60 kDa protein is implicated in an RNA discard pathway that recognizes 3'-extended 5S rRNAs, the function of Y RNAs remains unknown [O'Brien,C.A. and Wolin,S.L. (1995) Genes Dev. 8,2891-2903]. Y5 RNA occupies a large fraction of Ro 60 kDa protein in human Ro RNPs, contains an atypical 3'-extension not found on other Y RNAs, and constitutes an RNA antigen in certain autoimmune patients [Boulanger et al. (1995) Clin. Exp. Immunol. 99, 29-36]. An overabundance of Y RNA retroposed pseudogenes has previously complicated the isolation of mammalian Y RNA genes. The source gene for Y5 RNA was isolated from human DNA as well as from Galago senegalis DNA. Authenticity of the hY5 RNA gene was demonstrated in vivo and its activity was compared with the hY4 RNA gene that also uses a type 3 promoter for RNA polymerase III. The hY5 RNA gene was subsequently found to reside within a few hundred thousand base pairs of other Y RNA genes and the linear order of the four human Y RNA genes on chromosome 7q36 was determined. Phylogenetic comparative analyses of promoter and RNA structure indicate that the Y5 RNA gene has been subjected to positive selection during primate evolution. Consistent with the proposal of O'Brien and Harley [O'Brian,C.A. and Wolin,S.L. (1992) Gene 116, 285-289], analysis of flanking sequences suggest that the hY5 RNA gene may have originated as a retroposon.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Growth Regulation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maraia
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Sakulich
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brinkmann
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D001324:Autoantigens / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D018244:Chromosomes, Artificial, Yeast; D002897:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic; D018626:Retroelements; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000099207:SS-A Antigen
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D012313:RNA; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic; D018626:Retroelements; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D000099207:SS-A Antigen; C116006:RO60 protein, human