Efficient polyadenylation of Rous sarcoma virus RNA requires the negative regulator of splicing element

Rous sarcoma virus pre-mRNA contains an element known as the negative regulator of splicing (NRS) that acts to inhibit viral RNA splicing. The NRS binds serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins, hnRNP H and the U1/U11 snRNPs, and appears to inhibit splicing by acting as a decoy 5′ splice site. Deletions within the gag gene that encompass the NRS also lead to increased read-through past the viral polyadenylation site, suggesting a role for the NRS in promoting polyadenylation. Using NRS-specific deletions and mutations, we show here that a polyadenylation stimulatory activity maps directly to the NRS and is most likely dependent upon SR proteins and U1 and/or U11 snRNP. hnRNP H does not appear to mediate splicing control or stimulate RSV polyadenylation, since viral RNAs containing hnRNP H-specific mutations were spliced and polyadenylated normally. However, the ability of hnRNP H mutations to suppress the read-through caused by an SR protein mutation suggests the potential for hnRNP H to antagonize polyadenylation. Interestingly, disruption of splicing control closely correlated with increased read-through, indicating that a functional NRS is necessary for efficient RSV polyadenylation rather than binding of an individual factor. We propose a model in which the NRS serves to enhance polyadenylation of RSV unspliced RNA in a process analogous to the stimulation of cellular pre-mRNA polyadenylation by splicing complexes.