Nuclear RNA is spliced in the absence of poly(A) addition

Splicing of newly formed nuclear RNA transcripts has been demonstrated during adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) mRNA formation in HeLa cells in the presence of "cordycepin," 3' deoxyadenosine, a drug that stops poly(A) addition to nuclear RNA. Nuclear RNA prepared from Ad2-infected cells after a 30 min label time in the presence or absence of 3' deoxyadenosine was hybridized to and eluted from Ad2 DNA sequences in the transcription units of region E1b and region E2. The nuclear RNA from the 3' dA-treated cells did not contain poly(A) but did contain Ad2-specific molecules approximately 200 to 250 bases shorter than the spliced mRNAs of the control infected cells. In addition, the approximately 2 kb RNA from Ad2 region E2 was shown to have sequences that lie more than 3.5 kb apart on the DNA, suggesting that correct cutting and splicing of the primary transcript in the absence of poly(A) synthesis had occurred. Therefore, although poly(A) addition usually precedes splicing during mRNA formation, poly(A) is not required for splicing.