Characterization and expression of U1snRNA genes from potato

U1 small nuclear RNAs (U1snRNAs) occur in the nucleus of plants and animals where, complexed with several proteins in the form of U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (U1snRNPs), they play an important role in precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing. Ten potato U1snRNA genes have been isolated on two genomic clones illustrating the clustering of this multigene family on the potato genome. Based on both the sequence of their coding regions and upstream regulatory elements, seven of the genes are potentially functional. The other three genes were pseudogenes with defective promoter or coding region sequences. Analysis of expression of individual cloned U1snRNA genes in transfected tobacco protoplasts was impossible due to the similarity of U1snRNA sequences in tobacco. However, by marking the coding regions with oligonucleotides or constructing chimaeric genes consisting of a potato U1snRNA promoter region and maize U5snRNA coding region, three of the U1 promoter regions were shown to be transcriptionally active.