RNA polymerase II kinetics in polo polyadenylation signal selection

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2011

Authors

Pinto, PAB (Author) Other; Henriques, T (Author) Other; Freitas, MO (Author) Other; Martins, T (Author) Other; Domingues, RG (Author) Other; Wyrzykowska, PS (Author) Other; Coelho, PA (Author) Other; Alexandre Carmo (Author) ICBAS; Sunkel, CE (Author) ICBAS; Proudfoot, NJ (Author) Other; Moreira, A (Author) REIT

Journal

Title: EMBO Journal

Vol. 30

Pages: 2431-2444

ISSN: 0261-4189

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 73 Citations

Scopus - 88 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-QEV

DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2011.156

Abstract (EN): Regulated alternative polyadenylation is an important feature of gene expression, but how gene transcription rate affects this process remains to be investigated. polo is a cell-cycle gene that uses two poly(A) signals in the 30 untranslated region (UTR) to produce alternative messenger RNAs that differ in their 3'UTR length. Using a mutant Drosophila strain that has a lower transcriptional elongation rate, we show that transcription kinetics can determine alternative poly(A) site selection. The physiological consequences of incorrect polo poly(A) site choice are of vital importance; transgenic flies lacking the distal poly(A) signal cannot produce the longer transcript and die at the pupa stage due to a failure in the proliferation of the precursor cells of the abdomen, the histoblasts. This is due to the low translation efficiency of the shorter transcript produced by proximal poly(A) site usage. Our results show that correct polo poly(A) site selection functions to provide the correct levels of protein expression necessary for histoblast proliferation, and that the kinetics of RNA polymerase II have an important role in the mechanism of alternative polyadenylation. The EMBO Journal (2011) 30, 2431-2444. doi: 10.1038/emboj.2011.156; Published online 20 May 2011

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 14