Destabilization ofrbcSsense transcripts by antisense RNA

✍ Scribed by Cai-Zhong Jiang; Daniel Kliebenstein; Ning Ke; Steve Rodermel

• Book ID: 104620802
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 783 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0167-4412
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00043886

✦ Synopsis

Steady-state rbcS m R N A levels are drastically reduced in transgenic tobacco plants that express rbcS antisense RNAs. We have found that these reductions are not due to an effect of the antisense R N A at the level of rbcS transcription; rather, the sense mRNAs are more actively degraded in the mutant than wild-type plants. We have examined the kinetics of this turnover process by inhibiting transcription with cordycepin, and have found that rbcS sense m R N A decay is accelerated about five-fold in the antisense plants. This provides direct evidence that antisense RNAs can serve to destabilize sense transcripts in plants.