Intron-encoded small nucleolar RNAs: new RNA sequence variants and genomic loci.

Three small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) whose 5' termini are monophosphorylated, termed E1, E2 and E3, were reported earlier, and E1 and E3 are encoded in pre-mRNA gene introns. In the present work, the ends of these snoRNAs were identified by analysis of terminal mononucleotides, and heterogeneity was observed at the 3' ends of E1 and E2 RNAs. Two new E1 RNA species were detected in HeLa cells by cDNA cloning. Four novel human genomic loci were identified that have E1 or E3 sequence homology. The sequence CTAGAGCACYSAATCTGGAT (where S = C or G and Y = C or T), that is present three nucleotides downstream from the coding region of an E1 RNA-encoding gene, lies in the same location in a different human genomic locus (which has a E1-homology sequence whose expression has not been detected yet), suggesting that this sequence may be functional.