Expression of the Thyroid Hormone Receptor Gene, erbAα, in B Lymphocytes: Alternative mRNA Processing is Independent of Differentiation but Correlates with Antisense RNA Levels

Authors

Michelle Laura Hastings, Marquette University
Christine Milcarek, University of Pittsburgh
Kathlee Martincic, University of Pittsburgh
Martha L. Peterson, University of Kentucky
Stephen H. Munroe, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

11-1997

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Source Publication

Nucleic Acids Research

Source ISSN

0305-1048

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1093/nar/25.21.4296

Abstract

The erbAα gene encodes two α-thyroid hormone receptor isoforms, TRα1 and TRα2, which arise from alternatively processed mRNAs, erbAα1 (α1) and erb α2 (α2). The splicing and alternative polyadenylation patterns of these mRNAs resemble that of mRNAs encoding different forms of immunoglobulin heavy chains, which are regulated at the level of alternative processing during B cell differentiation. This study examines the levels of erbAα mRNA in eight B cell lines representing four stages of differentiation in order to determine whether regulation of the alternatively processed α1 and α2 mRNAs parallels the processing of immunoglobulin heavy chain mRNAs. Results show that the pattern of α1 and α2 mRNA expression is clearly different from that observed for immunoglobulin heavy chain mRNAs. B cell lines display characteristic ratios of α1/α2 mRNA at distinct stages of differentiation. Furthermore, expression of an overlapping gene, Rev-ErbAα (RevErb), was found to correlate strongly with an increase in the ratio of α1/α2 mRNA. These results suggest that alternative processing of erbAα mRNAs is regulated by a mechanism which is distinct from that regulating immunoglobulin mRNA. The correlation between RevErb and erbAα mRNA is consistent with negative regulation of α2 via antisense interactions with the complementary RevErb mRNA.

Comments

Published version. Nucleic Acids Research, Vol. 25, No. 21 (November 1997): 4296-4300. DOI. © 1997 Oxford University Press. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Hastings, Michelle Laura; Milcarek, Christine; Martincic, Kathlee; Peterson, Martha L.; and Munroe, Stephen H., "Expression of the Thyroid Hormone Receptor Gene, erbAα, in B Lymphocytes: Alternative mRNA Processing is Independent of Differentiation but Correlates with Antisense RNA Levels" (1997). Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications. 332.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/bio_fac/332