title: The A312L 5'-UTR of Chlorella virus PBCV-1 is a translational enhancer in Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: PBCV-1 (Paramecium bursaria Chlorella virus) is a large double stranded DNA virus that replicates in certain eukaryotic chlorella like green algae. The PBCV-1 A312L gene encodes a 33-kDa protein whose function currently is unknown. The 5'-UTR of the A312L mRNA is 153 nucleotides, longer than the 5'-UTR in any other PBCV-1 gene. The sequence 5'-AAAC was repeated 17 times within 156bp 5' to the A312L gene start codon and this sequence was repeated 13 times continuously in the 5'-UTR of the mRNA. Recombinant genes were constructed in vector pBI121 that contained the A312L 5'-UTR, in both the forward and inverse-complement orientations, fused to the GUS gene under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter. These constructs were introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana and the results indicated that the A312L 5'-UTR functions as a translational enhancer only in the forward orientation. Overall, the ratio of GUS enzyme activity to GUS mRNA was 15-fold higher in constructs derived from the A312L 5'-UTR in the forward orientation as compared to constructs containing the 5'-UTR in the inverse-complement orientation or those lacking the A312L 5'-UTR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, 414 Olsen Hall, University of Massachusetts, 1 University Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854, USA.
authors.forename: Phuong-Son
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Deane L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Falcone
authors.forename: Michael V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Graves
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D001483:Base Sequence; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005814:Genes, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D017862:Phycodnaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018749:RNA, Plant; D011994:Recombinant Proteins