mRNA 5′-leader trans-splicing in the chordates
Abstract
We report the discovery of mRNA 5′-leader trans-splicing (SL trans-splicing) in the chordates. In the ascidian protochordate Ciona intestinalis, the mRNAs of at least seven genes undergo trans-splicing of a 16-nucleotide 5′-leader apparently derived from a 46-nucleotide RNA that shares features with previously characterized splice donor SL RNAs. SLtrans-splicing was known previously to occur in several protist and metazoan phyla, however, this is the first report of SLtrans-splicing within the deuterostome division of the metazoa. SL trans-splicing is not known to occur in the vertebrates. However, because ascidians are primitive chordates related to vertebrate ancestors, our findings raise the possibility of ancestral SL trans-splicing in the vertebrate lineage.
Keywords
Footnotes
-
↵3 Corresponding author.
-
E-MAIL khastings{at}mni.mcgill.ca; FAX (514) 398-1509.
-
Article and publication are at www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.865401.
-
- Received November 7, 2000.
- Accepted December 18, 2000.
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press