Defective RNA splicing in the absence of adenovirus-associated RNAI

We have analyzed late gene expression in 293 cells infected with an adenovirus type 5 mutant dl331, which is defective in production of the low molecular weight virus-associated (VA) RNAI. The results show that several steps in late gene expression are affected. In addition to the previously characterized defect in late mRNA translation, mutant infected cells also show an aberrant selection of RNA splice sites and a substantially reduced L2, L3, and L5 mRNA accumulation. Normal or even slightly elevated amounts of mRNA from region L1 are produced. However, the L1 pre-mRNA is spliced only to generate the mRNA encoding the Mr 52,000-55,000 polypeptide and no detectable mRNA for polypeptide IIIa. Cotransfection of a plasmid encoding VA RNAI complemented the splicing defect in trans, suggesting that the abnormalities are due to the absence of VA RNAI, rather than to a cis-acting change in the nuclear precursor RNA. In a HeLa cell variant, which allows late protein synthesis also in the absence of VA RNAI, because of a lack of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha kinase expression, a normal repertoire of late mRNA was produced. We conclude that a soluble factor, most likely a late viral protein, controls differential RNA splicing and late mRNA accumulation during an adenovirus infection.