Mouse and Frog Violate the Paradigm of Species-Specific Transcription of Ribosomal RNA Genes

Transcription of ribosomal RNA genes by RNA polymerase I is generally accepted as being highly species specific, a conclusion based on numerous reports that rRNA genes of one species are not transcribed by factors of even closely related species. It thus was striking to find that cloned rDNA from th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1987-11, Vol.84 (21), p.7498-7502
Main Authors: Culotta, Valeria Cizewski, Wilkinson, JoAnne Kaye, Sollner-Webb, Barbara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Chromosome Deletion
DNA, Ribosomal - genetics
Frogs
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genes
Leukemia L1210 - metabolism
Mice - genetics
Molecular and cellular biology
Molecular genetics
Molecules
Mutation
Nucleotides
Plasmids
Promoter regions
Ribosomal DNA
RNA
RNA Polymerase I - metabolism
RNA, Ribosomal - genetics
rRNA genes
Species Specificity
Templates, Genetic
Transcription factors
Transcription Factors - metabolism
Transcription, Genetic
Transcription. Transcription factor. Splicing. Rna processing
Xenopus laevis - genetics
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Summary:Transcription of ribosomal RNA genes by RNA polymerase I is generally accepted as being highly species specific, a conclusion based on numerous reports that rRNA genes of one species are not transcribed by factors of even closely related species. It thus was striking to find that cloned rDNA from the frog Xenopus laevis is specifically transcribed in extracts prepared from mouse cells. The data in this paper demonstrate that this heterologous transcription is due to a normal initiation process and not to a fortuitous event. Transcription of Xenopus rDNA in the mouse cell extract is directed by the same large promoter (residue - 141 to +6) that is utilized to promote the synthesis of frog rRNA in homologous Xenopus systems. Moreover, the same factors of the mouse cell extract that transcribe the homologous mouse rDNA also catalyze transcription from the X. laevis rDNA promoter. We conclude that polymerase I transcriptional machinery does not evolve as rapidly as prior studies would suggest.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.84.21.7498