Biomaterial Database

Exon as well as intron sequences are cis-regulating elements for the mutually exclusive alternative splicing of the beta tropomyosin gene. 1990

D Libri, and M Goux-Pelletan, and E Brody, and M Y Fiszman

Molecular Biology Department, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.

The beta tropomyosin gene contains two internal exons which are spliced in a mutually exclusive manner. Exon 6B is specifically included in the mature transcripts expressed in skeletal muscle or cultured myotubes, while exon 6A is a myoblast- or smooth muscle-specific exon. The intron between them, which is never spliced in normal conditions, contains two characteristic features: first, the unusual location of the branch point at position -105 from the acceptor, and second, the presence of a very long pyrimidine stretch upstream of the skeletal muscle exon. In this study we designed a number of sequence modifications to investigate the role of these two elements and of a computer-predicted secondary structure in the mutually exclusive splicing of the two exons. We found that mutations in the skeletal exon as well as in the upstream intron could change in vivo the tissue-specific pattern as well as the mutually exclusive character of the two exons. Our results suggest that the unusual position of the branch point does not prevent the utilization of exon 6B in myoblasts and that the region around the acceptor site of exon 6B and the polypyrimidine tract have an important role in this control. Last, we discuss the possible implications of secondary structures.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007438	Introns	Sequences of DNA in the genes that are located between the EXONS. They are transcribed along with the exons but are removed from the primary gene transcript by RNA SPLICING to leave mature RNA. Some introns code for separate genes.	Intervening Sequences,Sequences, Intervening,Intervening Sequence,Intron,Sequence, Intervening
D008958	Models, Molecular	Models used experimentally or theoretically to study molecular shape, electronic properties, or interactions; includes analogous molecules, computer-generated graphics, and mechanical structures.	Molecular Models,Model, Molecular,Molecular Model
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D009690	Nucleic Acid Conformation	The spatial arrangement of the atoms of a nucleic acid or polynucleotide that results in its characteristic 3-dimensional shape.	DNA Conformation,RNA Conformation,Conformation, DNA,Conformation, Nucleic Acid,Conformation, RNA,Conformations, DNA,Conformations, Nucleic Acid,Conformations, RNA,DNA Conformations,Nucleic Acid Conformations,RNA Conformations
D012045	Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid	Nucleic acid sequences involved in regulating the expression of genes.	Nucleic Acid Regulatory Sequences,Regulatory Regions, Nucleic Acid (Genetics),Region, Regulatory,Regions, Regulatory,Regulator Regions, Nucleic Acid,Regulatory Region,Regulatory Regions
D002645	Chickens	Common name for the species Gallus gallus, the domestic fowl, in the family Phasianidae, order GALLIFORMES. It is descended from the red jungle fowl of SOUTHEAST ASIA.	Gallus gallus,Gallus domesticus,Gallus gallus domesticus,Chicken
D003001	Cloning, Molecular	The insertion of recombinant DNA molecules from prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic sources into a replicating vehicle, such as a plasmid or virus vector, and the introduction of the resultant hybrid molecules into recipient cells without altering the viability of those cells.	Molecular Cloning
D003196	Computer Graphics	The process of pictorial communication, between human and computers, in which the computer input and output have the form of charts, drawings, or other appropriate pictorial representation.	Computer Graphic,Graphic, Computer,Graphics, Computer
D004252	DNA Mutational Analysis	Biochemical identification of mutational changes in a nucleotide sequence.	Mutational Analysis, DNA,Analysis, DNA Mutational,Analyses, DNA Mutational,DNA Mutational Analyses,Mutational Analyses, DNA
D005091	Exons	The parts of a transcript of a split GENE remaining after the INTRONS are removed. They are spliced together to become a MESSENGER RNA or other functional RNA.	Mini-Exon,Exon,Mini Exon,Mini-Exons