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. 1983 Feb;80(4):950–954. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.4.950

Polyadenylylated nuclear RNA contains branches

John C Wallace 1, Mary Edmonds 1
PMCID: PMC393505  PMID: 6573664

Abstract

A highly charged component can be isolated from a total RNase T2 digest of nuclear polyadenylylated RNA from HeLa cells that is separable from caps by (dihydroxyboryl)aminoethyl-cellulose chromatography. Chemical and enzymatic analyses show that the component contains a 2′-5′ phosphodiester bond that creates a branch at the 2′-hydroxyl group of one nucleotide already linked to an adjoining nucleotide through the usual 3′-5′ phosphodiester bond. [Formula: see text] This structure was confirmed by analysis of a similar component isolated from nuclease P1 digests of the same nuclear polyadenylylated RNA. Branches occur in roughly 10% of nuclear polyadenylylated RNAs, including those >10S in size, but are absent from cytoplasmic polyadenylylated RNA. Possible implications for branches as intermediates in mRNA processing are discussed.

Keywords: heterogeneous nuclear RNA, mRNA, HeLa cell, RNA processing

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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