Sequence-mediated regulation of adenovirus gene expression by repression of mRNA accumulation. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Gene expression in complex transcription units can be regulated at virtually every step in the production of mature cytoplasmic mRNA, including transcription initiation, elongation, termination, pre-mRNA processing, nucleus-to-cytoplasm mRNA transport, and alterations in mRNA stability. We have been characterizing alternative poly(A) site usage in the adenovirus major late transcription unit (MLTU) as a model for regulation at the level of pre-mRNA 3'-end processing. The MLTU contains five polyadenylation sites (L1 through L5). The promoter proximal site (L1) functions as the dominant poly(A) site during the early stage of adenovirus infection and in plasmid transfections when multiple poly(A) sites are present at the 3' end of a reporter plasmid. In contrast, stable mRNA processed at all five poly(A) sites is found during the late stage of adenovirus infection, after viral DNA replication has begun. Despite its dominance during early infection, L1 is a comparatively poor substrate for 3'-end RNA processing both in vivo and in vitro. In this study we have investigated the basis for the early L1 dominance. We have found that mRNA containing an unprocessed L1 poly(A) site is compromised in its ability to enter the steady-state pool of stable mRNA. This inhibition, which affects either the nuclear stability or nucleus-to-cytoplasm transport of the pre-mRNA, requires a cis-acting sequence located upstream of the L1 poly(A) site.

publication date

  • April 1, 1997

Research

keywords

  • Adenoviruses, Human
  • Genes, Viral
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Viral

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC232070

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0030900594

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1128/MCB.17.4.2207

PubMed ID

  • 9121471

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 17

issue

  • 4