RNAIG - MEMBERS: Richard J. Maraia, M. D.

SUMMARY/KEY WORDS

RESEARCH INTERESTS

The goal of this unit is to make use of a class of repetitive DNA sequences known as Alu- family short retroposon elements and other small RNA genes to investigate basic aspects of RNA polymerase III transcription, while attempting to gain insight into Alu RNA- mediated intragenomic mobility. The scope of this project includes characterization of c is- acting control elements and trans-acting factors involved in RNA polymerase III transcription, with particular emphasis on transcription termination, and how these affec t posttranscriptional metabolism of the RNA products. The role of the autoimmune antigen/RNA-binding protein known as La, in transcription termination and reinitiation is a focus of our attention. The roles of La and the Alu RNA-binding protein known as the signal recognition particle heterodimer 9/14 (SRP9/14) are investigated in the context of understanding Alu RNA metabolism and how this relates to Alu mobility.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

1. Chang, D. Y., B. Nelson, T. Bilyeu, K. Hsu, G. J. Darlington, and R. J. Ma1994. A human Alu RNA binding protein whose expression is associated with accumulation of small cytoplasmic Alu RNA. Mol. Cell Biol. 14:3949-3959.
   
   
2. Chang, D. Y., N. Sasaki-Tozawa, L. K. Green, and R. J. Maraia. 1995. A Trinucleotide repeat-associated increase in the level of Alu RNA-binding protein occurred during the same period as the major Alu amplification that accompanied anthropoid evolution. Mol. Cell Biol. 15:2109-2116.
   
   
3. Hsu, K., D. Y. Chang, and R. J. Maraia. 1995. Human signal recognition particle (SRP) Alu-associated protein also binds Alu interspersed repeat sequence RNAs: characterization of human SRP9. J. Biol. Chem. 270:10179-10186.
   
   
4. Maraia, R., M. Zasloff, P. Plotz, and S. Adeniyi-Jones. 1988. Pathway of B Alu expression in microinjected oocytes: Xenopus laevis proteins associated with nuclear precursor and processed cytoplasmic RNAs. Mol. Cell Biol. 8:4433-4440.
   
   
5. Maraia, R. J. (1995) Impact of short interspersed elements (SINEs) on the host genome, (Austin: R. G. Landes).
   
   
6. Maraia, R. J., D.-Y. Chang, A. P. Wolffe, R. L. Vorce, and K. Hsu. 1992. TRNA polymerase III terminator used by a B1-Alu element can modulate 3' processing of the intermediate RNA product. Mol. Cell Biol. 12:1500-1506.
   
   
7. Maraia, R. J., D. J. Kenan, and J. D. Keene. 1994. Eukaryotic transcription termination factor La mediates transcript release and facilitates reinitiation RNA polymerase III. Mol. Cell. Biol. 14:2147-2158.
   
   
8. Maraia, R. J., N. Sasaki-Tozawa, C. T. Driscoll, E. G. Green, and G. J. Darlington. 1994. The human Y4 small cytoplasmic RNA gene is controlled by upstream elements and resides on chromosome 7 with all other hY scRNA genes. Nucl Acids Res 22:3045-3052.
   
   
9. Schmid, C., and R. Maraia. 1992. Transcriptional regulation and transpositional selection of active SINE sequences. Current Opinions in Genetics & Devel. 2:874-882.
   
   

LABORATORY MEMBERS

Dau-Yin Chang, Ph. D. : dauyin@box-d.nih.gov
John L. Goodier, Ph. D.
Amy Lynn Sakulich, M.S. : sakulich@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Hao Fan, Ph. D. : hfan@box-h.nih.gov