Splice site requirements and switches in plants

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Intron sequences in nuclear pre-mRNAs are excised with either the major U2 snRNA-dependent spliceosomal pathway or the minor U12 snRNA-dependent spliceosomal pathway that exist in most eukaryotic organisms. While the predominant dinucleotides bordering each of these types of introns and the catalytic mechanism used in their excision are conserved in plants and animals, several features aiding in the recognition of plant introns are distinct from those in animals and yeast. Along with their short length, high AU content and high variation in their 5′ and 3′ splice sites and branchpoint consensus sequences are the most prominent characteristics of plant introns. Detailed surveys of site-directed mutant introns tested in vivo and chemically induced and naturally mutant introns analyzed in planta emphasize the effects of changing individual nucleotides in these splice site consensus sequences and highlight a number of noncanonical dinucleotides that are functional in plant systems.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationHuman Cytomegalovirus
EditorsAnireddy Reddy, Maxim Golovkin
Pages39-59
Number of pages21
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008

Publication series

NameCurrent Topics in Microbiology and Immunology
Volume326
ISSN (Print)0070-217X

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Microbiology (medical)

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