Trans-splicing and polycistronic transcription in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Caenorhabditis elegans engages in three distinct versions of nuclear pre-mRNA splicing: cis-splicing of introns and two kinds of trans-splicing that result in the addition of two different spliced leaders onto mRNAs. One leader (SL1) is used near the 5' ends of pre-mRNAs while the other (SL2) is used at internal trans-splice sites of polycistronic pre-mRNAs. Here, I consider how these three types of splicing event are faithfully carried out.