• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2023

In eukaryotic cells, a key RNA processing step to generate mature mRNA is the coupled reaction for cleavage and polyadenylation (CPA) at the 3' end of individual transcripts. Many transcripts are alternatively polyadenylated (APA) to produce mRNAs with different 3' ends that may either alter protein coding sequence (CDS-APA) or create different lengths of 3'UTR (tandem-APA). As the CPA reaction is intimately associated with transcriptional termination, it has been widely assumed that APA is regulated cotranscriptionally. Isoforms terminated at different regions may have distinct RNA stability under different conditions, thus altering the ratio of APA isoforms. Such differential impacts on different isoforms have been considered as post-transcriptional APA, but strictly speaking, this can only be considered "apparent" APA, as the choice is not made during the CPA reaction. Interestingly, a recent study reveals sequential APA as a new mechanism for post-transcriptional APA. This minireview will focus on this new mechanism to provide insights into various documented regulatory paradigms.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.281-285
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• 2016

Almost all of eukaryotic mRNAs are subjected to polyadenylation during mRNA processing. Recent discoveries showed that many of these mRNAs contain more than one polyadenylation sites in their 3' untranslated regions (UTR) and that alternative polyadenylation (APA) is prevalent among these genes. Many biological processes such as differentiation, proliferation, and tumorigenesis have been correlated to global APA events in the 3' UTR of mRNAs, suggesting that these APA events are tightly regulated and may play important physiological roles. In this review, recent discoveries in the physiological roles of APA events, as well as the known and proposed mechanisms are summarized. Perspective for future directions is also discussed.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.201-207
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• 2017

Alternations in usage of polyadenylation sites during transcription termination yield transcript isoforms from a gene. Recent findings of transcriptome-wide alternative polyadenylation (APA) as a molecular response to changes in biology position APA not only as a molecular event of early transcriptional termination but also as a cellular regulatory step affecting various biological pathways. With the development of high-throughput profiling technologies at a single nucleotide level and their applications targeted to the 3'-end of mRNAs, dynamics in the landscape of mRNA 3'-end is measureable at a global scale. In this review, methods and technologies that have been adopted to study APA events are discussed. In addition, various bioinformatics algorithms for APA isoform analysis using publicly available RNA-seq datasets are introduced.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.48-56
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• 2023

Genomic information stored in the DNA is transcribed to the mRNA and translated to proteins. The 3' untranslated regions (3'UTRs) of the mRNA serve pivotal roles in post-transcriptional gene expression, regulating mRNA stability, translation, and localization. Similar to DNA mutations producing aberrant proteins, RNA alterations expand the transcriptome landscape and change the cellular proteome. Recent global analyses reveal that many genes express various forms of altered RNAs, including 3'UTR length variants. Alternative polyadenylation and alternative splicing are involved in diversifying 3'UTRs, which could act as a hidden layer of eukaryotic gene expression control. In this review, we summarize the functions and regulations of 3'UTRs and elaborate on the generation and functional consequences of 3'UTR diversity. Given that dynamic 3'UTR length control contributes to phenotypic complexity, dysregulated 3'UTR diversity might be relevant to disease development, including cancers. Thus, 3'UTR diversity in cancer could open exciting new research areas and provide avenues for novel cancer theragnostics.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.174-178
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• 2007

The earliest stages of mammalian embryogenesis are governed by the activity of maternally inherited transcripts and proteins. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation of selected maternal mRNA has been reported to be a major control mechanism of delayed translation during preimplantation embryogenesis in mice. The presence of cis-elements required for cytoplasmic polyadenylation (e.g., CPE) can serve as a useful tag in the screening of maternal genes partaking in key functions in the transcriptionally dormant egg and early embryo. However, due to its relative simplicity, UA-rich sequences satisfying the canonical rule of known CPE consensus sequences are often found in the 3'-UTR of maternal transcripts that do not actually undergo cytoplasmic polyadenylation. In this study, we developed a method to confirm the validity of candidate CPE sequences in a given gene by a multiplex comparison of 3'-UTR sequences between mammalian homologs. We found that genes undergoing cytoplasmic polyadenylation tend to create a conserved block around the CPE, while CPE-like sequences in the 3'-UTR of genes lacking cytoplasmic polyadenylation do not exhibit such conservation between species. Through this cross-species comparison, we also identified an alternative CPE in the 3'-UTR of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), which is more likely to serve as a functional element. We suggest that verification of CPEs based on sequence conservation can provide a convenient tool for mass screening of factors governing the earliest processes of mammalian embryogenesis.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.115-121
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• 1996

To investigate gestational profiles in gene expression of placental lactogen I fpL4), PL-lI and Pit-1, RNA samples were extracted from the placentas of pregnant day 12 to 20 at 2 day intervals. Northern blots showed changes in gene expression of PL4, - 11 and Pit-i. Sizes of PL-l and -II mRNA were changed and amounts of PL-I, -H and Pit-1 mRNA increased during progress of gestation. To examine the effect of estrogen on the gene expression of PL-I, -Il and Pit-1, pregnant female rats were ovariectomized (OVX) and daily injected with estradiol (OVX + E). OVX markedly lowered the amount of PL4 and 41 mRNA, and shifted niRNA size from 1 kb to i 3 kb in PL-l mRNA and 0.6 kb to i kb in PL-ll mRNA, respectively. OVX had no effect on the mRNA size of Pit-1, but markedly attenuated Pit-1 mRNA level. Estrogen injection reversed the effect of OVX on the size-shift but not on the amount of PL4 and -Il mRNA. Replacement of E partially recovered OVX-induced inhibition of Pit-i mRNA level. Present results suggest that estrogen may play a pivotal role on the gene expression of PL-l and -Il such as alternative RNA splicing and/or polyadenylation, and Pit-1 may be involved in the gene expression of PL-l and 41 by estrogen.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 1996

Since sequencing of randomly selected cDNA clones has been known to be a powerful approach to obtain information on gene expression pattern in specific cells or tissues, we have analyzed a 3'-directed cDNA library of vegetative mycelia of A. nidulans by single-pass sequencing of hundreds of randomly selected clones. Sequencing of 292 cDNA clones yielded 209 gene signatures (GSs) probably representing highly or lesser expressed genes in the vegetative mycelia. Among the 209 GSs, 25 (79 cDNA clones) appeared more than once and 184 only once. One GS appeared at a highest frequency of 6 times, 2 GSs5 times, 4 GSs 4 times, a GSs 3 times and 16 GSs twice. About 6.6% GSs comprizing of 13 GSs showed alternative polyadenylation. Among 23 redundant GSs, three were common in both mycelia and sexual organs, and 22 were probably mycelia-specific. Out of 209 GSs, 36 were identified in GenBank showing of 70% or greater similaritis. Only six GSs were for A. nidulans genes, and 13 GSs were of DNA or genes encoding cytoplasmic or organellar proteins. This pattern is similar to those in the human HepG2 cell line and in human colonic mucosa, although very few genes for nuclear proteins and for protein synthesis were in A. nidulans.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.329-334
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• 2003

The present study was aimed at investigating the regulatory mechanism in tissue-specific expression of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) gene. The expression of IGF-I gene was determined by a solution hybridization/RNase protection assay using total RNA prepared from rat liver or brain of various ages. The levels of IGF-I transcripts were increased in liver gradually after birth, but decreased in brain. By using an oligonucleotide (FRE) corresponding to the C/EBP binding site of the rat IGF-I exon 1, multiple forms of C/EBP${\alpha}$ and C/EBP${\beta}$ proteins, which have DNA-binding activity, were detected in the rat liver or brain. Western immunoblot and southwestern analyses show that p42$\^$C/EBP${\alpha}$/, p38$\^$C/EBP${\alpha}$/, p35$\^$C/EBP${\alpha}$/, p38$\^$C/EBP${\beta}$/, and p35$\^$C/EBP${\beta}$ form specific complexes with the IGF-I exon 1 oligonucleotide in liver nuclear extract and that p42$\^$C/EBP${\alpha}$/ and p38$\^$C/EBP${\beta}$/ form complexes in brain. These data suggest that the formation of FRE-C/EBP isoform complexes may play important roles in the tissue-specific regulation of IGF-I gene expression.