title: RNA editing and alternative splicing generate mRNA transcript diversity from the Drosophila 4f-rnp locus.
abstract: Extensive sequencing of genomic 4f-rnp and 15 cDNA clones isolated from libraries of 0-4-h embryos, pupae, and adult heads from Drosophila melanogaster has enabled identification of factors resulting in transcript sequence diversity. The 4f-rnp gene contains eight small introns. Among non-edited cDNAs, one transcript class potentially encodes a 943-amino-acid protein, within which several motifs are predicted, including a single C-terminal RNA-binding domain. Intron 5 is retained in all cDNAs examined except for a pupal cDNA, where it is excised. This potentially introduces an in-frame stop codon and predicts a truncated protein of 639 amino acids. One adult head transcript class is edited, some 31% of As being converted to Gs exclusive of edits within introns. An edit site in intron 4 changes a canonical 3'-terminal AG to GG, which interferes with splicing and is predicted to introduce a stop codon. A potential editing substrate recognition element in 4f-rnp contains the weak consensus sequence: 5'-G-G-G-N-A-A-G-3', which may interact with double-stranded RNA adenosine deaminase following pairing of 4f-rnp mRNA with an antisense transcript. It is possible that extensive editing in 4f-rnp destabilizes transcripts and thus provides a novel mechanism for post-transcriptional control of gene expression, although resolution of this point will require study of additional edited transcripts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA. petschek@msmail.muohio.edu
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Petschek
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Scheckelhoff
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mermer
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Vaughn
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D017344:Genes, Insect; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017393:RNA Editing; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C100381:RNA-binding protein 4F, Drosophila; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins