Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Using the E1A Minigene Tool to Study mRNA Splicing Changes
Published on: April 22, 2021
Half pint couples transcription and splicing of eIF4E-1,2 gene during fly development
Raquel Reyes1, José M Izquierdo
1Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", UAM-CSIC, C/Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
There are seven genes encoding eight protein isoforms of the translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) in Drosophila. One of these genes, eIF4E-1,2, gives rise to three mRNAs with different 5'-untranslated regions (5'UTRs) through alternative splicing regulated by Haf pint (Hfp) in the ovary. eIF4E-1a and eIF4E-1b mRNAs encode the eIF4E-I protein, whereas eIF4E-2 mRNA encodes the eIF4E-II protein. We report here that Hfp regulates alternative splicing of eIF4E-1,2 pre-mRNA during Drosophila development in a sex-independent way. Hfp RNA interference-mediated knockdown in Drosophila S2 cells reproduces the eIF4E-1,2 gene expression found in development. Interestingly, 5'UTRs of eIF4E-1a and -1b isoforms, unlike the eIF4E-2 5'UTR, promote a significant increase in the translation efficiency of a luciferase-encoding chimeric mRNA. Thus, these results suggest that the eIF4E-1,2 gene is regulated by Hfp through a mechanism linked to transcription control and 3' splice site selection, which determines the pattern and translation efficiency of eIF4E-1,2 mRNAs.
Related Concept Videos
Position-effect Variegation
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
Transcription Elongation Factors
The transcription elongation is regulated via pausing of RNA polymerase on several occasions during transcription. In bacteria, these halts are necessary because the transcription of DNA into mRNA is coupled to the translation of that mRNA into a...
RNA Splicing

