Identification and analysis of U5 snRNA variants in Drosophila

• Published in: RNA (Cambridge) Vol. 11; no. 10; pp. 1473 - 1477
• Main Authors: Chen, Li, Lullo, Dennis J, Ma, Enbo, Celniker, Susan E, Rio, Donald C, Doudna, Jennifer A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Copyright 2005 by RNA Society 01.10.2005
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Autoantigens; Base Sequence; Binding Sites; Cloning, Molecular; Drosophila; Drosophila - genetics; Drosophila - growth & development; Gene Expression Profiling; Genetic Variation; Letter to the Editor; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Protein Isoforms - chemistry; Protein Isoforms - genetics; Protein Isoforms - isolation & purification; Protein Isoforms - metabolism; Protein Structure, Secondary; Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear - metabolism; RNA Splicing; RNA, Small Nuclear - chemistry; RNA, Small Nuclear - genetics; RNA, Small Nuclear - isolation & purification; RNA, Small Nuclear - metabolism; snRNP Core Proteins; Spliceosomes
• ISSN: 1355-8382; 1469-9001
• DOI: 10.1261/rna.2141505

Distinct isoforms of spliceosomal RNAs may be involved in regulating pre-messenger RNA splicing in eukaryotic cells. During a large-scale effort to identify small noncoding RNAs in Drosophila, we isolated a U5 snRNA-like molecule containing a 5' segment identical to that of the canonical (major) U5 snRNA but with a variant Sm binding site and a distinct 3' hairpin sequence. Based on this finding, another six similar U5 snRNA-like sequences were identified within the Drosophila genome by sequence similarity to the invariant loop in the 5' half of U5. Interestingly, although all of these variants are expressed in vivo, each shows a distinct temporal expression profile during Drosophila development, and one is expressed primarily in fly heads. The presence of these U5 snRNA variants within RNP particles suggests their role in splicing and implies a possible connection to regulation of developmental and tissue-specific gene expression.