Abstract
The Alu sequence family comprises the major dispersed repeat sequences of rodent and primate genomes, numbering >300,000 copies in the human haploid genome1–3. The function of these elements is unknown2. The sequences can be transcribed by RNA polymerase III and represent a substantial fraction of total heterogeneous nuclear RNA2–7. Alu sequences can be found both in the flanking regions and within the transcription units of several well-characterized genes. Here we show that some members of the mouse Bl Alu sequence family encode a small cytoplasmic RNA. The mouse Bl sequence is ≃130 nucleotides long and shows homology with the monomeric units of the dimeric 300-nucleotide primate sequence8. By means of microinjection studies in the Xenopus laevis oocyte, we have elucidated a novel pathway leading to the appearance of a processed B l-type Alu RNA species in the cytoplasm. The abundance of this small Alu RNA differs between various mouse tissues, suggesting a role in tissue-specific gene expression.
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Adeniyi-Jones, S., Zasloff, M. Transcription, processing and nuclear transport of a B1 Alu RNA species complementary to an intron of the murine α-fetoprotein gene. Nature 317, 81–84 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/317081a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/317081a0
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