title: Evidence for a localisation signal in the 3'-untranslated region from vimentin messenger RNA.
abstract: There is increasing evidence that some mRNAs are localised in eukaryotic somatic cells, but it is unclear what proportion of mRNAs are localised and whether this sorting involves 3'-untranslated sequences. The presence of a localisation signal within the 3'-untranslated region of vimentin mRNA was investigated by studying mRNA distribution in fibroblasts transfected with beta-globin and hybrid globin-vimentin gene constructs. In cells transfected with constructs containing either a fragment of the rabbit beta-globin gene containing both coding sequences and 3'untranslated region or the beta-globin coding sequences alone in situ hybridisation showed that beta-globin mRNA was distributed throughout the cytoplasm without any evident localisation. In contrast, in cells transfected with globin coding sequences linked to the vimentin 3'-untranslated region there was a strong perinuclear localisation of the hybrid mRNA. The results show that loss of its endogenous 3'-untranslated region does not affect distribution of beta-globin mRNA whereas the vimentin 3'-untranslated region causes an altered localisation of beta-globin mRNA. We conclude that the vimentin 3'-untranslated region contains a localisation signal which can direct reporter sequences to the perinuclear cytoplasm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, U.K.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wiseman
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Glover
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hesketh
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014162:Transfection; D014746:Vimentin / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; D005914:Globins