Complementarity between ferritin H mRNA and 28 S ribosomal RNA

We have found an interesting complementarity in sequences of human ferritin H mRNA and 28 S ribosomal RNA. Immediately upstream of the initiating AUG in the ferritin mRNA is a stretch of 67 nucleotides which contains sequences complementary to several regions in 28 S RNA. One such region can form 55 base pairings with the 5' noncoding region of the ferritin H mRNA. Most of the complementarity is due to repeats of CCG in the ferritin mRNA and GGC in the ribosomal RNA. The regions of complementarity in the 28 S RNA appear to be expansion sequences that have arisen in the evolution of eukaryotic ribosomal RNA. We suggest that interaction of ferritin mRNA and 28 S RNA may function to regulate the stability and/or translatability of ferritin mRNA.