Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Using the E1A Minigene Tool to Study mRNA Splicing Changes
10:25

Using the E1A Minigene Tool to Study mRNA Splicing Changes

Published on: April 22, 2021

prp4 from Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a mutant deficient in pre-mRNA splicing isolated using genes containing

G H Rosenberg1, S K Alahari, N F Käufer

  • 1Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Molecular & General Genetics : MGG
|April 1, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Researchers created temperature-sensitive (ts) fission yeast mutants to study splicing. Three mutants with general splicing defects were identified, including two in the prp1 group and one new prp4 group.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Yeast Genetics
  • RNA Splicing

Background:

  • RNA splicing is a critical post-transcriptional modification process in eukaryotes.
  • Temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants are valuable tools for studying essential genes and processes.
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe (fission yeast) is a powerful model organism for genetic studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To generate and screen temperature-sensitive (ts) Schizosaccharomyces pombe mutants to identify defects in RNA splicing.
  • To characterize novel genes involved in the splicing pathway.

Main Methods:

  • Generation of a bank of temperature-sensitive (ts) Schizosaccharomyces pombe mutant strains.
  • Transformation of ts mutants with a ura4 gene containing an artificial intron.
  • Screening for mutants exhibiting defects in the splicing of the ura4 intron.

Main Results:

  • Isolation of approximately 150 ts mutants transformed with the ura4 intron construct.
  • Identification of three ts mutants with a general defect in the splicing process.
  • Characterization of two mutants belonging to the prp1 complementation group and one defining a new complementation group, prp4.

Conclusions:

  • The study successfully identified novel genetic components involved in RNA splicing in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
  • The prp4 complementation group represents a newly discovered factor essential for splicing.
  • This work provides valuable tools and insights for further investigation of the splicing machinery.

More Related Videos

ACT1-CUP1 Assays Determine the Substrate-Specific Sensitivities of Spliceosomal Mutants in Budding Yeast07:31

ACT1-CUP1 Assays Determine the Substrate-Specific Sensitivities of Spliceosomal Mutants in Budding Yeast

Published on: June 30, 2022

Genetic Screen for Identification of Multicopy Suppressors in Schizosaccharomyces pombe13:22

Genetic Screen for Identification of Multicopy Suppressors in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Published on: September 13, 2022

Related Concept Videos

RNA Splicing01:32

RNA Splicing

Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
RNA Splicing01:32

RNA Splicing

Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
Riboswitches01:56

Riboswitches

Riboswitches are non-coding mRNA domains that regulate the transcription and translation of downstream genes without the help of proteins. Riboswitches bind directly to a metabolite and can form unique stem-loop or hairpin structures in response to the amount of the metabolite present. They have two distinct regions – a metabolite-binding aptamer and an expression platform.
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...
Alternative RNA Splicing02:18

Alternative RNA Splicing

Alternative RNA splicing is the regulated splicing of exons and introns to produce different mature mRNAs from a single pre-mRNA. Unlike in constitutive splicing where a single gene produces a single type of mRNA, alternative splicing allows an organism to produce multiple proteins from a single gene and plays an important role in protein diversity.
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
Exon Recombination02:32

Exon Recombination

The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes. 
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
Pre-mRNA Processing: Modification of pre-mRNA Ends01:35

Pre-mRNA Processing: Modification of pre-mRNA Ends

In eukaryotic cells, transcripts made by RNA polymerase are modified and processed before exiting the nucleus. Unprocessed RNA is called precursor mRNA or pre-mRNA to distinguish it from mature mRNA.
Once about 20-40 ribonucleotides have been joined together by RNA polymerase, a group of enzymes adds a cap to the 5' end of the growing transcript. In this process, a 5' phosphate is replaced by modified guanosine that has a methyl group attached (7-methyl guanosine). This 5' cap helps the cell...