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A combinatorial role for exon, intron and splice site sequences in splicing in maize
Author(s) -
CarleUrioste Jose C.,
Brendel Volker,
Walbot Virginia
Publication year - 1997
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.1997.11061253.x
Subject(s) - intron , exon , rna splicing , splice , splice site mutation , group ii intron , genetics , biology , gene , alternative splicing , rna
Plant introns are typically AU‐rich or U‐rich, and this feature has been shown to be important for splicing. In maize, however, about 20% of the introns exceed 50% GC, and most of them are efficiently spliced. A series of constructs has been designed to analyze the cis requirements for splicing of the GC‐rich Bz2 maize intron and two other GC‐rich intron derivatives. By manipulating exon, intron and splice site sequences it is shown that exons can play an important role in intron definition: changes in exon sequences can increase splicing efficiency of a GC‐rich intron from 17% to 86%. The relative difference, or base compositional contrast, in GC and U content between exon and intron sequences in the vicinity of splice sites, rather than the absolute base‐content of the intron or exons, correlates with splicing efficiency. It is also shown that GC‐rich intron constructs that are poorly spliced can be partially rescued by an improved 3′ splice site.