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. 1999 Jan;151(1):263–276. doi: 10.1093/genetics/151.1.263

The role of evolutionarily conserved sequences in alternative splicing at the 3' end of Drosophila melanogaster myosin heavy chain RNA.

D Hodges 1, R M Cripps 1, M E O'Connor 1, S I Bernstein 1
PMCID: PMC1460470  PMID: 9872965

Abstract

Exon 18 of the muscle myosin heavy chain gene (Mhc) of Drosophila melanogaster is excluded from larval transcripts but included in most adult transcripts. To identify cis-acting elements regulating this alternative RNA splicing, we sequenced the 3' end of Mhc from the distantly related species D. virilis. Three noncoding regions are conserved: (1) the nonconsensus splice junctions at either end of exon 18; (2) exon 18 itself; and (3) a 30-nucleotide, pyrimidine-rich sequence located about 40 nt upstream of the 3' splice site of exon 18. We generated transgenic flies expressing Mhc mini-genes designed to test the function of these regions. Improvement of both splice sites of adult-specific exon 18 toward the consensus sequence switches the splicing pattern to include exon 18 in all larval transcripts. Thus nonconsensus splice junctions are critical to stage-specific exclusion of this exon. Deletion of nearly all of exon 18 does not affect stage-specific utilization. However, splicing of transcripts lacking the conserved pyrimidine sequence is severely disrupted in adults. Disruption is not rescued by insertion of a different polypyrimidine tract, suggesting that the conserved pyrimidine-rich sequence interacts with tissue-specific splicing factors to activate utilization of the poor splice sites of exon 18 in adult muscle.

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Selected References

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