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Homologous mRNA 3' end formation in fission and budding yeast

T Humphrey1, P Sadhale, T Platt

  • 1Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, UK.

The EMBO Journal
|November 1, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) mRNA 3' end formation differs from higher eukaryotes but is homologous to budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). This conserved lower eukaryotic mechanism suggests broader evolutionary relevance for RNA processing.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Eukaryotic Gene Expression

Background:

  • Polyadenylation signals in higher eukaryotes are found downstream of coding regions in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
  • Mammalian polyadenylation signals are inactive in S. pombe, indicating species-specific differences in RNA processing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism of mRNA 3' end formation in fission yeast.
  • To compare RNA processing signals between fission yeast, budding yeast, and higher eukaryotes.
  • To determine if lower eukaryotic mRNA 3' end formation mechanisms are conserved.

Main Methods:

  • Functional analysis of polyadenylation signals in vivo (HeLa cells and S. pombe).
  • Deletion analysis of RNA processing signals in S. cerevisiae and S. pombe.
  • In vitro polyadenylation assays using S. cerevisiae whole cell extracts.

Main Results:

  • Polyadenylation signals from Saccharomyces cerevisiae CYC1 gene function efficiently in S. pombe.
  • A deletion inactivating the S. cerevisiae signal also inactivated it in S. pombe.
  • Synthetic pre-mRNAs with S. pombe polyadenylation sites were processed in S. cerevisiae extracts.
  • AT-rich sequences are found near S. pombe mRNA 3' ends, but no general motif was identified.

Conclusions:

  • Fission yeast mRNA 3' end formation utilizes a mechanism homologous to budding yeast, not higher eukaryotes.
  • Despite evolutionary divergence, this lower eukaryotic RNA processing mechanism appears conserved.
  • mRNA 3' end formation in S. pombe is distinct from higher eukaryotes, highlighting conserved mechanisms in lower eukaryotes.

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