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PMID: 8491768 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Evidence for channeled diffusion of pre-mRNAs during nuclear RNA transport in metazoans.

The Journal of cell biology ·Vol. 121 ·No. 4 ·1993-05-00 ·Pages 729-42

Zachar Z, Kramer J, Mims IP, Bingham PM

Abstract

We report studies using an enhanced experimental system to investigate organization of nuclear pre-mRNA metabolism. It is based on the powerful genetic system and polytene nuclei of Drosophila. We observe (at steady state) movement of a specific pre-mRNA between its gene and the nuclear surface. This movement is isotropic, at rates consistent with diffusion and is restricted to a small nuclear subcompartment defined by exclusion from chromosome axes and the nucleolus. Bulk polyadenylated nuclear pre-mRNA precisely localizes in this same subcompartment indicating that most or all pre-mRNAs use the same route of intranuclear movement. In addition to association with nascent transcripts, snRNPs are coconcentrated with pre-mRNA in this subcompartment. In contrast to constitutive splices, at least one regulated splice occurs slowly and may undergo execution remotely from the site of pre-mRNA synthesis. Details of our results suggest that retention of incompletely spliced pre-mRNA is a function of the nuclear surface. We propose a simple model--based on channeled diffusion--for organization of intranuclear transport and metabolism of pre-mRNAs in polytene nuclei. We argue that this model can be generalized to all metazoan nuclei.

MeSH Terms
Animals Biological Transport Cell Membrane/metabolism Cloning, Molecular DNA, Single-Stranded Diffusion Diploidy Drosophila Genes Introns Kinetics RNA Precursors/metabolism RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional RNA Splicing RNA, Nuclear/metabolism Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear/metabolism Transcription, Genetic
Chemicals
DNA, Single-Stranded RNA Precursors RNA, Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear
Authors & Affiliations
4 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Zachar Z
Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of New York, Stony Brook 11794-5215.
Kramer J
Mims I P
Bingham P M
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Article Info
Journal
The Journal of cell biology
Abbr.
J Cell Biol
ISSN
0021-9525
DOI
10.1083/jcb.121.4.729
Published
1993-05-00
Pages
729-42
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0375356
PMCID
PMC2119787
Subset
IM
Grants
NIGMS NIH HHS · GM32003 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1083/jcb.121.4.729 PMC Full Text View journal details
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