Molecular analysis of eight U1 RNA gene candidates from tomato that could potentially be transcribed into U1 RNA sequence variants differing from each other in similar regions of secondary structure

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Abstract
From a tomato genomic library we isolated and characterized eight U1 RNA gene candidates (U1.1 to U1.8) all of which possessed the canonical plant U-snRNA transcription signals in their 5' and 3' flanking regions and exhibited nucleotide sequence conservation in the 5' splice site recognition sequence, in the Sm antigen binding site and in Loops B, C, D as well as in Stems III and IV of their coding region. Deviations from the U1 RNA consensus sequence were mainly localized to Loop A and Stems I and II, suggesting that the putative transcripts of the tomato U1.1 – U1.8 genes would differ from each other in their capacity of binding to the U1 RNA-specific snRNP proteins.