Published online 7 April 2005
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Retropseudogenes derived from the human Ro/SS-A autoantigen-associated hY RNAs
1RNA group/Groupe ARN, Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada 2Department of Biochemistry, Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada 3Department of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada 4Department of Microbiology and Infectiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada 5Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University 3775 University Street, Montréal, Quebec, H3A 2B4, Canada
*To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 819 564 5261; Fax: +1 819 564 5265; Email: Gilles.Boire{at}USherbrooke.ca
Received January 10, 2005. Revised March 7, 2005. Accepted March 22, 2005.
We report the characterization in the human genome of 966 pseudogenes derived from the four human Y (hY) RNAs, components of the Ro/SS-A autoantigen. About 95% of the Y RNA pseudogenes are found in corresponding locations on the chimpanzee and human chromosomes. On the contrary, Y pseudogenes in mice are both infrequent and found in different genomic regions. In addition to this rodent/primate discrepancy, the conservation of hY pseudogenes relative to hY genes suggests that they occurred after rodent/primate divergence. Flanking regions of hY pseudogenes contain convincing evidence for involvement of the L1 retrotransposition machinery. Although Alu elements are found in close proximity to most hY pseudogenes, these are not chimeric retrogenes. Point mutations in hY RNA transcripts specifically affecting binding of Ro60 protein likely contributed to their selection for direct trans retrotransposition. This represents a novel requirement for the selection of specific RNAs for their genomic integration by the L1 retrotransposition machinery. Over 40% of the hY pseudogenes are found in intronic regions of protein-coding genes. Considering the functions of proteins known to bind subsets of hY RNAs, hY pseudogenes constitute a new class of L1-dependent non-autonomous retroelements, potentially involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression.
Correspondence may also be addressed to Jean-Pierre Perreault. Tel: +1 819 564 5310; Fax: +1 819 564 5340; Email: Jean-Pierre.Perreault{at}usherbrooke.ca
The authors wish it to be known that, in their opinion, the first two authors should be regarded as joint First Authors
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