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Translation of unspliced transcripts after heat shock
1Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, IL 60637.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|December 16, 1988
Summary
Severe heat shocks halt messenger RNA splicing, causing unspliced transcripts to produce abnormal proteins. This process may protect cells from further damage by repressing transcription.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cellular Stress Response
Background:
- Heat shock is a cellular stress that affects gene expression.
- Messenger RNA (mRNA) processing, including splicing, is crucial for protein synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of severe heat shock on mRNA splicing.
- To understand the consequences of blocked splicing on protein production.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of RNA transcripts in cells subjected to severe heat shock.
- Examination of mRNA splicing junctions and localization.
- Investigation of protein synthesis from affected transcripts.
Main Results:
- Severe heat shock completely blocks the splicing of intervening sequences from pre-mRNA.
- Accumulated unspliced transcripts retain normal transcription start sites but lack processed splice junctions.
- A portion of these unspliced transcripts are found in the cytoplasm and are translated, leading to aberrant proteins.
- Repression of normal transcription, a typical heat shock response, may prevent widespread synthesis of abnormal proteins.
Conclusions:
- Heat shock-induced inhibition of mRNA splicing leads to the production of abnormal proteins.
- The cellular response to heat shock, including transcriptional repression, might serve a protective role against the detrimental effects of aberrant protein synthesis.