Sensitivity of low molecular weight RNA synthesis to UV radiation
Sensitivity of low molecular weight RNA synthesis to UV radiation
复制标题
低分子量 RNA 合成对紫外线辐射的敏感性
DOI：
10.1038/279080a0
复制
发表时间：
1979
期刊：
影响因子：
64.8
通讯作者：
G. L. Eliceiri
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
G. L. Eliceiri
RNA SPECIES C and D (nomenclature of Weinberg and Penman1) are among the most abundant of the long-lived2, homodisperse, low molecular weight nuclear RNAs3, and are present in all vertebrates tested4, but their function is unknown. They have several interesting characteristics: they seem to be transcribed from multiple-copy genes (102–103 genes per genome)5,6, to pass through the cytoplasm for a few minutes shortly after their transcription3,7–10, to have 5′-end caps that are very similar to those of eukaryotic mRNAs11,12, and to be present in heterogeneous nuclear RNA-protein particles13,14. Here, we show that C and D RNA syntheses are unexpectedly sensitive to UV radiation in HeLa cells. The effect of UV radiation on RNA synthesis has been used to study the organisation of transcription units15. UV irradiation, causing random formation of pyrimidine dimers in DNA, results in premature termination of transcription. The probability of causing a UV lesion within a transcription unit is directly proportional to its length, making it possible to measure the distance between a gene and its promoter. The present UV sensitivity data are compatible with the transcription units for the low molecular weight (less than 200-nucleotide long1,11,12) RNA species C and D being as long as 5 kilobases.
