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RNA editing in maize chloroplasts is a processing step independent of splicing and cleavage to monocistronic mRNAs
Author(s) -
Freyer Regina,
Hoch Brigitte,
Neckermann Kai,
Maier Rainer M.,
Kössel Hans
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
the plant journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.058
H-Index - 269
eISSN - 1365-313X
pISSN - 0960-7412
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-313x.1993.04040621.x
Subject(s) - rna splicing , cleavage (geology) , rna , rna editing , rna processing , post transcriptional modification , messenger rna , genetics , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , computational biology , gene , paleontology , fracture (geology)
The psb B operon contained in the plastomes of higher plants consists of the genes psb B, psb H, pet B and pet D. The primary transcript of this operon is subject to a series of processing steps which include cleavages resulting in four monocistronic mRNAs and splicing of the pet B and pet D transcripts. A search for editing sites within the two latter transcripts from maize led us to the detection of one editing site within the pet B coding region which is conserved at the DNA level in other graminean species and in tobacco. This shows that editing must be considered as an additional processing step of the psb B operon encoded primary transcript. As is evident from cDNA sequences derived from the dicistronic and/or unspliced pet B/D transcripts which are completely edited, editing is an early step of mRNA processing which precedes both splicing and cleavage to the monocistronic mRNAs and which must, therefore, be independent of the latter two steps. This conclusion is confirmed by a similar observation with the editing site of the rpl 2 transcript which is contained in the polycistronic transcript of the rpo A operon, although here only partial editing is observed for the unspliced dicistronic rpl 23/ rpl 2 transcript.