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Identification of conserved vault RNA expression elements and a non-expressed mouse vault RNA gene
Valerie A Kickhoefer1, Nil Emre, Andrew G Stephen
1Department of Biological Chemistry and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, 33-131 CHS mail code #173717, The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1737, USA. vkick@mednet.ucla.edu
Abstract:
Vault RNA (vRNA) genes have been cloned from several vertebrates including rat, mouse, and humans. Their copy numbers vary, as does the length of the encoded RNA. We have determined that the mouse genome contains two vRNA genes; one is expressed the other is a pseudogene. In vitro transcription of the rat vRNA gene by RNA polymerase III has previously been shown to be dependent on a combination of both external and internal promoter sequence elements. By comparing the upstream regions of the vertebrate vRNA genes, a 25 bp conserved sequence and a TATA box can be identified. Furthermore, the unique arrangement of the internal promoter boxes (one A and two B boxes) is conserved in the expressed human vRNA genes even though a new RNA polymerase III termination sequence has evolved between the two B boxes.