The SV40 small t intron is accurately and efficiently spliced in tobacco cells.

We have introduced the SV40 small t intron into tobacco cells as part of a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase-SV40 transcription unit. We find that the small t intron is efficiently and accurately spliced in transgenic tobacco cells that carry this transcription unit. Our results indicate that there is substantial conservation of RNA processing signals between plants and animals, more than has been previously assumed. They also suggest that pre-mRNA processing in plants requires multiple branch sites for efficient processing.