Characterization of the 3' untranslated region of the mouse homeobox gene HoxB5.

The mouse pre-B cell line, 70Z/3, expresses multiple transcripts of the homeobox gene, HoxB5. We show here that this heterogeneity is due, at least in part, to the usage of alternative poly-A addition sites in the 3' untranslated region (UT) of the primary HoxB5 transcript. Furthermore, upon analysis of the subcellular distribution of the different HoxB5 RNA species, we found that the transcripts are present mainly in the nucleus, with two-to-five-fold less RNA present in the cytoplasm. These studies suggest that multiple post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms are involved in the expression of HoxB5 RNA.