title: In vivo RNA-RNA duplexes from human alpha3 and alpha5 nicotinic receptor subunit mRNAs.
abstract: Natural antisense transcripts, because of their potential to form double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules, recently emerged as a mechanism acting on eukaryotic gene regulation at multiple levels. CHRNA3 and CHRNA5, coding for alpha3 and alpha5 subunits of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, have been reported to overlap at their 3'ends in human and bovine genomes. In the present paper, four CHRNA3 and three CHRNA5 human transcripts were characterised, leading to the identification of different antisense complementary regions. Since the two genes are coexpressed in some neuronal and non-neuronal tissues, we ventured on the in vivo identification of RNA-RNA duplexes in both humans and cattle. Using an RNase protection-based approach, CHRNA3/CHRNA5 duplexes were detected in human neuroblastoma SY5Y cells, but not in bovine cerebellum. A semi-quantitative analysis of overlapping transcript levels was performed by real-time RT-PCR. Possible consequences of sense-antisense interaction are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Genetics for Medical Sciences, University of Milan, via Viotti 3/5, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soldà
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boi
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duga
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fornasari
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benfante
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malcovati
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Tenchini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; C447158:CHRNA5 protein, human