Abstract
RNA maturation and modulation of RNA stability play important roles in chloroplast gene expression. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that both the 5′- and 3′-untranslated regions (UTRs) contain sequence and structural elements that guide these processes, and interact with specific proteins. We have previously characterized the spinach chloroplast petD 3′-UTR in detail by in vitro approaches. This stem-loop forming sequence is a weak terminator but is required for RNA maturation and also exhibits sequence-specific protein binding. To test petD 3′-UTR function in vivo, tobacco chloroplast transformants were generated containing uidA reporter genes flanked by variants of the petD 3′-UTR, including one which does not form an RNA-protein complex in vitro, and one which lacks a stem-loop structure. Analysis of uidA mRNA indicated that a stable secondary structure is required to accumulate a discrete mRNA, and that changes in the 3′-UTR sequence which affect protein binding in vitro can also affect RNA metabolism in vivo. The 3′-UTR also influenced β-glucuronidase protein accumulation, but not in proportion to RNA levels. These results raise the possibility that in tobacco chloroplasts, the 3′-UTR may influence translational yield.
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Monde, RA., Greene, J.C. & Stern, D.B. The sequence and secondary structure of the 3′-UTR affect 3′-end maturation, RNA accumulation, and translation in tobacco chloroplasts. Plant Mol Biol 44, 529–542 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026540310934
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026540310934