Species-specific regulation of alternative splicing in the C-terminal region of the p53 tumor suppressor gene.
Alternative splicing occurs in the C-terminal region of the p53 tumor suppressor gene between two alternative 3' splice sites in intron 10. This alternative splicing event has been detected in murine cells, but not in rat or human tissues. In this paper, we have characterized the pattern of p53 alternative splicing in cell lines from five different species. Our results confirm that p53 alternative splicing is species-specific, being detected only in cell lines of rodent origin. Using transient transfection assays, we have established that the rat p53 gene undergoes efficient alternative splicing in both mouse and rat cell lines, thus demonstrating that it has all the necessary cis -acting sequences to be alternatively spliced. In contrast, we were unable to detect any usage of the human alternative 3' splice site under the same experimental conditions. Thus, the low levels or absence of alternatively spliced p53 mRNA in rat and human cell lines seems to be the result of different mechanisms. Our results support the hypothesis that there are species-specific mechanisms implicated in the regulation of p53 activity.
Laverdière
M
M
Département de Biochimie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec J1H 5N4, Canada.
Beaudoin
J
J
Lavigueur
A
A
D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000235:genetics*; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D014162:Transfection; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53