Stochastic and nonstochastic post-transcriptional silencing of chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase genes involves increased RNA turnover - Possible rolefor ribosome-independent RNA degradation
H. Holtorf et al., Stochastic and nonstochastic post-transcriptional silencing of chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase genes involves increased RNA turnover - Possible rolefor ribosome-independent RNA degradation, PL CELL, 11(3), 1999, pp. 471-483
Stochastic and nonstochastic post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in
Nicotiana sylvestris plants carrying tobacco class I chitinase (CHN) and be
ta-1,3-glucanase transgenes differs in incidence, stability, and pattern of
expression. Measurements with inhibitors of RNA synthesis (cordycepin, act
inomycin D, and alpha-amanitin) showed that both forms of PTGS are associat
ed with increased sequence-specific degradation of transcripts, suggesting
that increased RNA turnover may be a general feature of PTGS. The protein s
ynthesis inhibitors cycloheximide and verrucarin A did not inhibit degradat
ion of CHN RNA targeted for PTGS, confirming that PTGS-related RNA degradat
ion does not depend on ongoing protein synthesis. Because verrucarin A, unl
ike cycloheximide, dissociates mRNA from ribosomes, our results also sugges
t that ribosome-associated RNA degradation pathways may not be involved in
CHN PTGS.