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Upstream sequences modulate the internal promoter of the human 7SL RNA gene

Nature volume 318, pages 371–374 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

The human genome is rich in sequences which are structurally related to the 7SL RNA component of the signal recognition particle1. The 7SL DNA sequence family consists of four 7SL genes2, 500 7SL pseudogenes2 (which are truncated at one or both ends of the 7SL sequence) and 500,000 Alu sequences3–5. Both 7SL genes2 and Alu elements6–8 are transcribed by RNA polymerase III, and we show here that the internal 7SL promoter lies within the Alu-like part of the 7SL gene. Why then does RNA polymerase III transcribe the few 7SL genes so efficiently, while transcripts from the far more abundant Alu elements are not readily detectable9–11? We find that a human 7SL gene and a synthetic Alu sequence derived from it are expressed 50–100-fold more efficiently in vitro than either a representative Alu element or two 7SL pseudogenes. 5′ Deletion and insertion mutants of the 7SL gene demonstrate that, in conjunction with the internal promoter, the first 37 nucleotides upstream from the transcription start site are essential for efficient and accurate initiation in vitro. We suggest that the genomic sequences upstream from most Alu elements and 7SL pseudogenes do not contain this element, and consequently that only a small subset of such sequences can be transcribed in vivo. This may help to explain the homogeneity of the Alu family within each mammalian genome, as well as the species-specific differences between mammalian Alu families.

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Author notes

  1. Elisabetta Ullu

    Present address: Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, PO Box 3333, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, PO Box 3333, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, USA

    Elisabetta Ullu & Alan M. Weiner

Authors
  1. Elisabetta Ullu
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  2. Alan M. Weiner
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Ullu, E., Weiner, A. Upstream sequences modulate the internal promoter of the human 7SL RNA gene. Nature 318, 371–374 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/318371a0

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