Exon tethering in transcription by RNA polymerase II.
There is an emerging consensus that RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) transcription and pre-mRNA processing are tightly coupled events. We show here that exons flanking an intron that has been engineered to be co-transcriptionally cleaved are accurately and efficiently spliced together. These data underline the close coupling of processes in the initial stages of protein-encoding gene expression and provide evidence for a molecular tether connecting emergent splice sites in the pre-mRNA to transcribing RNA Pol II. This observation suggests that for some genes a continuous intron transcript is not required for pre-mRNA splicing in vivo.
Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom.
Michael J
MJ
Dye
Natalia
N
Gromak
Nick J
NJ
Proudfoot
D000818:Animals; D005091:Exons / Q000502:physiology*; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008954:Models, Biological; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012322:RNA Precursors; D012326:RNA Splicing; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
D012322:RNA Precursors; D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005914:Globins; D012319:RNA Polymerase II