Alternative usage of exon 1 of bovine PrP mRNA.
Here we report two types of bovine prion protein (PrP) mRNA that possessed different lengths of the 5'-untranslated region and were expressed in various bovine tissues. The two mRNA species were transcribed from identical positions but differed in the usage of the splice site for exon 1/intron. One mRNA possessed exon 1 consisting of 53 nucleotides and the other possessed exon 1 consisting of 168 nucleotides. Usage of exons 2 and 3 was identical for the two mRNA species. The two mRNA species were detected in all but spleen tissue; the mRNA possessing 168-nt exon 1 was not detected in bovine spleen. This is the first report on the tissue-specific alternative splicing of PrPc mRNA in any other species. Only a low level of PrPc appeared to be present in bovine spleen. These results suggested the possibility that the mRNA possessing 53-nt exon 1 was inefficiently translated into Prp; however, in vitro translation analysis showed no marked difference in translational efficiency between the two mRNA species.
Horiuchi
M
M
Department of Veterinary Public Health, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan.
Ishiguro
N
N
Nagasawa
H
H
Toyoda
Y
Y
Shinagawa
M
M
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005091:Exons; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012756:Sheep; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D011328:Prions; D012333:RNA, Messenger