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PubMed1989

Identification of functional U1 snRNA-pre-mRNA complexes committed to spliceosome assembly and splicing.

Although both U1 and U2 snRNPs have been implicated in the splicing process, their respective roles in the earliest stages of intron recognition and spliceosome assembly are uncertain. To address this issue, we developed a new strategy to prepare snRNP-depleted splicing extracts using Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells conditionally expressing U1 or U2 snRNP. Complementation analyses and chase experiments show that a stable complex, committed to the splicing pathway, forms in the absence of U2 snRNP. U1 snRNP and a substrate containing both a 5' splice site and a branchpoint sequence are required for optimal formation of this commitment complex. We developed new gel electrophoresis conditions to identify these committed complexes and to show that they contain U1 snRNA. Chase experiments demonstrated that these complexes are functional intermediates in spliceosome assembly and splicing. Our results have implications for the process of splice site selection.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1991

PRP16 is an RNA-dependent ATPase that interacts transiently with the spliceosome.

The assembly of the spliceosome is an ATP-dependent process. The splicing factor PRP16 contains variations of several motifs that define the eIF-4A-like ATP-dependent RNA helicase family. The protein has now been purified and shown to exhibit RNA-dependent ATPase activity. PRP16 is required specifically for the second catalytic step of the splicing reaction in vitro. This function requires ATP binding and/or hydrolysis, which appears to be concomitant with release of the protein from the spliceosome. PRP16 may be the prototype for a set of splicing factors which use ATP to drive a cycle of conformational changes.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

PubMed1988

Association of U2, U4, U5, and U6 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins in a spliceosome-type complex in absence of precursor RNA.

Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs) associate to form multi-snRNP complexes during splicing of mRNA precursors. A vast majority of the three snRNPs U4, U5, and U6 are present in a nuclear extract in a single complex, while U1 and U2 snRNPs exist as separate particles. Under conditions optimal for splicing in vitro the U4-U5-U6 (U4/5/6) complex dissociates to release free snRNPs, suggesting that the interactions between its components are dynamic. Several forms of splicing complexes assemble on precursor RNA during splicing in vitro. One of these forms, spliceosome B, contains U2, U4, U5, and U6 snRNPs bound to the precursor RNA. This same set of snRNPs associates efficiently in the absence of precursor RNA during incubation of the extract at high salt concentration. Formation of this U2-U4-U5-U6 (U2/4/5/6) complex, the pseudospliceosome, suggests that the basic structure of the spliceosome is specified by snRNP-snRNP interactions.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗

PubMed1990

A mammalian protein of 220 kDa binds pre-mRNAs in the spliceosome: a potential homologue of the yeast PRP8 protein.

A mammalian protein of approximately 220 kDa (p220) was UV-crosslinked to precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs) under splicing conditions. The kinetics and biochemical requirements of the UV-crosslinking of p220 corresponded to the kinetics and biochemical requirements of spliceosome formation. On Western blots, antibodies against the yeast splicing factor PRP8 recognized a doublet of proteins, the faster migrating of which comigrated with p220. Furthermore, UV-crosslinked p220 was immunoprecipitated with anti-PRP8 antisera. These results suggest structural conservation of the splicing factor PRP8 from yeast to mammals and show that this protein is in close proximity to the pre-mRNA in the spliceosome.

Blotting, Western↗

PubMed1989

Autonomous splicing and complementation of in vivo-assembled spliceosomes.

We have used an in vivo system generating assayable amounts of a specific pre-mRNA to study the relationship between splicing and an operationally defined nuclear matrix preparation (NM). When NM is prepared by extraction of DNase I-treated nuclei with an approximately physiological concentration of KCl (0.1 M), a portion of NM-associated precursor can be spliced in vitro in the presence of ATP and Mg2+ and in the absence of splicing extract ("autonomous splicing"). We propose that the autonomous reaction, which does not exhibit a temporal lag and is half-complete in 5 min, occurs in fully assembled, matrix-bound ribonucleoprotein complexes (in vivo spliceosomes). Extraction of the NM with concentrations of KCl greater than 0.4 M eliminates autonomous splicing but leaves behind preassembled complexes that can be complemented for splicing with HeLa cell nuclear extract. The splicing complementing factor, representing one or more activities present in the nuclear extract and also in the cytoplasmic S100 fraction, is relatively heat resistant, devoid of an RNA component, and does not bind to DEAE-Sepharose in 0.1 M KCl. It exists in the nucleus in two forms; bound to autonomous spliceosomes and free in the nucleoplasm. Biochemical features of the complementation reaction, and conditions for reversible uncoupling of the two splicing steps are described and discussed.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1989

Purified U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein can relieve the inhibition of spliceosome assembly and splicing by snRNP-free nuclear proteins.

As demonstrated by RNase T1 protection assays at 0 degrees C without ATP, U1 and U5 snRNPs purified by isopycnic centrifugation in cesium chloride bind to the 5' and 3' splice sites of human beta-globin pre-mRNA, respectively. We also devised a saturation-complementation assay and have found that this purified U5 snRNP, unlike U1, successfully competes with snRNP-free fractions of nuclear proteins which inhibit spliceosome assembly and splicing. Restoration of activity requires intact U5 snRNA and correlates with the presence of the 100 Kd intron binding protein (IBP) which we have previously characterized (Tazi et al., 1986, Cell 47, 755-766). Our results are compatible with a model in which the recognition of the 3' splice site by IBP-U5 snRNP is one of the earliest events of the spliceosome assembly. It could organize the structure of the 3' splice site region of the human beta-globin like pre-mRNAs. However, on the basis of results showing that beta-globin and major late adenovirus seem to have different requirements with respect to IBP-U5 snRNP, it appears that some pre-mRNAs could have a native structure that necessitates less if at all IBP-U5.

Centrifugation, Density Gradient↗

PubMed1991

An ATP-independent complex commits pre-mRNA to the mammalian spliceosome assembly pathway.

Previous studies have identified five distinct mammalian splicing complexes that assemble on pre-mRNA in vitro. Of these complexes, which include H, E, A, B, and C, only the B and C complexes have been isolated and shown directly to be functional intermediates in the splicing pathway. In this report we carried out a systematic analysis of the temporal and functional relationships among the H, E, A, and B complexes. Using gel filtration to isolate each complex, we show that H complex, which consists primarily of hnRNP proteins, assembles first in either the presence or absence of ATP. Subsequently, E complex, which contains stably bound U1 snRNP, is detected in reactions lacking ATP, whereas A complex, which contains stably bound U1 and U2 snRNPs, is detected in reactions containing ATP. We show that E complex can be chased into A and B complexes and that A complex can be chased into B complex. Both E and A complexes can also be chased into spliced products. In contrast, H complex cannot be chased into A or B complexes or spliced products under the same conditions. We conclude that in addition to the two spliceosome complexes (B and C), two distinct pre-splicesome complexes (E and A) are functional intermediates in the splicing pathway. Comparison of the efficiency of splicesome assembly on different pre-mRNAs has revealed dramatic differences. We show that these differences are first apparent at the time of E complex assembly. Thus, we conclude that E complex commits pre-mRNA to the splicing pathway and that this step is critical in determining the efficiency of mammalian spliceosome assembly.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2026

Genome-wide survey of spliceosomal snRNA transcripts across hundreds of human biosamples reveals abundant transcription but low maturation level of snRNA variants.

Small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) are essential components of the spliceosome and are encoded by large, multicopy gene families. However, their genome-wide identification and quantification have remained challenging due to high sequence similarity among family members. To address this, we utilized RAMPAGE (Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends) data from the ENCODE project to comprehensively profile nascent transcription of spliceosomal snRNAs across 115 human biosamples. We identified 74 expressed snRNA variants, characterized by canonical promoter features including bidirectional transcription flanking a positioned nucleosome, active histone modifications, and evolutionary conservation- features largely absent from unexpressed variants. These transcriptional events were corroborated by total RNA-seq and Bru-seq data, yet the majority of these variants showed extremely low levels in small RNA-seq, indicating post-transcriptional bottlenecks for snRNA processing and maturation. Our findings reveal new layers of regulation in snRNA variant expression and suggest that selective post-transcriptional processing plays a critical role in shaping the functional snRNA repertoire and its contribution to splicing regulation.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1992

Domain structure of U2 and U4/U6 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles from Trypanosoma brucei: identification of trans-spliceosomal specific RNA-protein interactions.

Maturation of mRNAs in trypanosomes involves trans splicing of the 5' end of the spliced leader RNA and the exons of polycistronic pre-mRNAs, requiring small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) as cofactors. We have mapped protein-binding sites in the U2 and U4/U6 snRNPs by a combination of RNase H protection analysis, native gel electrophoresis, and CsCl density gradient centrifugation. In the U2 snRNP, protein binding occurs primarily in the 3'-terminal domain; through U2 snRNP reconstitution and chemical modification-interference assays, we have identified discrete positions within stem-loop IV of Trypanosoma brucei U2 RNA that are essential for protein binding; significantly, some of these positions differ from the consensus sequence derived from cis-spliceosomal U2 RNAs. In the U4/U6 snRNP, the major protein-binding region is contained within the 3'-terminal half of U4 RNA. In sum, while the overall domain structure of the U2 and U4/U6 snRNPs is conserved between cis- and trans-splicing systems, our data suggest that there are also trans-spliceosomal specific determinants of RNA-protein binding.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

RNA11 protein is associated with the yeast spliceosome and is localized in the periphery of the cell nucleus.

The yeast rna mutations (rna2 through rna10/11) are a set of temperature-sensitive mutations that result in the accumulation of pre-mRNAs at the nonpermissive temperature. Most of the yeast RNA gene products are involved in and essential for mRNA splicing in vitro, suggesting that they code for components of the splicing machinery. We tested this proposal by using an in vitro-synthesized RNA11 protein to complement the temperature-sensitive defect of the rna11 extract. During the in vitro complementation, the input RNA11 protein was associated with the 40S spliceosome and a 30S complex, suggesting that the RNA11 protein is indeed a component of the spliceosome. The formation of the RNA11-associated 30S complex did not require any exogenous RNA substrate, suggesting that this 30S particle is likely to be a preassembled complex involved in splicing. The RNA11-specific antibody inhibited the mRNA splicing in vitro, confirming the essential role of the RNA11 protein in mRNA splicing. Finally, using the anti-RNA11 antibody, we localized the RNA11 protein to the periphery of the yeast nucleus.

Antibodies, Fungal↗

PubMed1994

A dominant negative mutation in the conserved RNA helicase motif 'SAT' causes splicing factor PRP2 to stall in spliceosomes.

To characterize sequences in the RNA helicase-like PRP2 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that are essential for its function in pre-mRNA splicing, a pool of random PRP2 mutants was generated. A dominant negative allele was isolated which, when overexpressed in a wild-type yeast strain, inhibited cell growth by causing a defect in pre-mRNA splicing. This defect was partially alleviated by simultaneous co-overexpression of wild-type PRP2. The dominant negative PRP2 protein inhibited splicing in vitro and caused the accumulation of stalled splicing complexes. Immunoprecipitation with anti-PRP2 antibodies confirmed that dominant negative PRP2 protein competed with its wild-type counterpart for interaction with spliceosomes, with which the mutant protein remained associated. The PRP2-dn1 mutation led to a single amino acid change within the conserved SAT motif that in the prototype helicase eIF-4A is required for RNA unwinding. Purified dominant negative PRP2 protein had approximately 40% of the wild-type level of RNA-stimulated ATPase activity. As ATPase activity was reduced only slightly, but splicing activity was abolished, we propose that the dominant negative phenotype is due primarily to a defect in the putative RNA helicase activity of PRP2 protein.

Base Sequence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Analysis of the CD2 and spliceosomal Sm B/B' polyproline-arginine motifs defined by a monoclonal antibody using a phage-displayed random peptide library.

The cytoplasmic region of the CD2 receptor of lymphocytes contains proline-rich motifs, which are involved in T cell activation and interleukin-2 production. An intracellular CD2 binding protein, CD2BP2, interacts with two tandem PPPPGHR segments of the CD2 tail. CD2BP2 contains a GYF (glycine-tyrosine-phenylalanine) domain that confers binding to these proline-rich sequences. Monoclonal antibody 3E10 that was previously raised against a peptide containing the CD2 PPPPGHR segment reacts with the native CD2 molecule and spliceosomal Sm B/B' proteins. To identify the exact epitope on the CD2 peptide recognized by 3E10, a phage-displayed combinatorial peptide library was used. Analysis of the selected clones revealed that the mAb 3E10 binds preferentially to the motif PxxPPGxR. Experiments using amino acid substitutions with synthetic peptides confirmed the reactivity of mAb 3E10 with this motif. In addition, we show that several similarities exist between this motif and the CD2BP2-GFY recognition motif PPGxR/K. Binding of antibody 3E10 indicates some degree of degeneracy, which is consistent with its ability to recognize structurally related polyproline-arginine motifs found in intracellular proteins including Sm B/B' proteins and other RNA binding proteins. Thus, mAb 3E10 can be used to specifically identify a sub-class of proline-rich motifs, and as such can be used to study the potential role of these proline-rich sequences in mediating protein-protein interactions.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed1995

Solution structure of the ribosome-binding domain of E. coli translation initiation factor IF3. Homology with the U1A protein of the eukaryotic spliceosome.

Initiation of translation in prokaryotes requires the formation of a complex between the messenger RNA, the 30 S ribosomal subunit and the initiator tRNA(fMet). Initiation factor IF3 binds to the 30 S ribosomal subunit and proof-reads the initiation complex, thereby ensuring the accuracy of this step. IF3 also plays a pleiotropic role in the regulation of translation, as a result of differential influences exerted on the levels of the initiation of translation of genes or groups of genes. IF3 is composed of two independent domain or roughly identical sizes. We have expressed and purified the C-terminal domain of E. coli IF3 and shown that it retains both the 30 S particle binding and 70 S ribosome dissociating activities of the native protein. We have obtained 1H and 15N NMR resonance assignments and its 3D solution structure was calculated using 551 restraints. It is composed of a mixed beta-sheet backed by two alpha-helices. It shows a striking resemblance to the U1A small nuclear ribonucleoprotein structure, which binds to the U1 snRNA in the eukaryotic spliceosome. This suggests a convergent evolution process for these two proteins that are associated with ribonucleoproteic complexes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Direct probing of RNA structure and RNA-protein interactions in purified HeLa cell's and yeast spliceosomal U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP particles.

The U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP is a key component of spliceosomes. By using chemical reagents and RNases, we performed the first extensive experimental analysis of the structure and accessibility of U4 and U6 snRNAs in tri-snRNPs. These were purified from HeLa cell nuclear extract and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cellular extract. U5 accessibility was also investigated. For both species, data demonstrate the formation of the U4/U6 Y-shaped structure. In the human tri-snRNP and U4/U6 snRNP, U6 forms the long range interaction, that was previously proposed to be responsible for dissociation of the deproteinized U4/U6 duplex. In both yeast and human tri-snRNPs, U5 is more protected than U4 and U6, suggesting that the U5 snRNP-specific protein complex and other components of the tri-snRNP wrapped the 5' stem-loop of U5. Loop I of U5 is partially accessible, and chemical modifications of loop I were identical in yeast and human tri-snRNPs. This reflects a strong conservation of the interactions of proteins with the functional loop I. Only some parts of the U4/U6 Y-shaped motif (the 5' stem-loop of U4 and helix II) are protected. Due to difference of protein composition of yeast and human tri-snRNP, the U6 segment linking the 5' stem-loop to the Y-shaped structure and the U4 central single-stranded segment are more accessible in the yeast than in the human tri-snRNP, especially, the phylogenetically conserved ACAGAG sequence of U6. Data are discussed taking into account knowledge on RNA and protein components of yeast and human snRNPs and their involvement in splicesome assembly.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2006

Tempo and mode of spliceosomal intron evolution in actin of foraminifera.

Spliceosomal introns are present in almost all eukaryotic genes, yet little is known about their origin and turnover in the majority of eukaryotic phyla. There is no agreement whether most introns are ancestral and have been lost in some lineage or have been gained recently. We addressed this question by analyzing the spatial and temporal distribution of introns in actins of foraminifera, a group of testate protists whose exceptionally rich fossil record permits the calibration of molecular phylogenies to date intron origins. We identified 24 introns dispersed along the sequence of two foraminiferan actin paralogues and actin deviating proteins, an unconventional type of fast-evolving actin found in some foraminifera. Comparison of intron positions indicates that 20 of 24 introns are specific to foraminifera. Four introns shared between foraminifera and other eukaryotes were interpreted as parallel gains because they have been found only in single species belonging to phylogenetically distinctive lineages. Moreover, additional recent intron gain due to the transfer between the actin paralogues was observed in two cultured species. Based on a relaxed molecular clock timescale, we conclude that intron gains in actin took place throughout the evolution of foraminifera, with the oldest introns inserted between 550 and 500 million years ago and the youngest ones acquired less than 100 million years ago.

Actins↗

PubMed1993

Detection of a plant protein analogous to the yeast spliceosomal protein, PRP8.

We have investigated whether a spliceosomal protein analogous to the yeast protein, PRP8, was present in higher plants. A protein with a molecular weight > 200 kDa was detected in Western blots of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) nuclear extracts with affinity-purified antibodies, raised against four different beta-galactosidase-PRP8 fusion proteins. The < 200 kDa protein was also immunoprecipitated by antibodies against the snRNA-specific trimethylguanosine cap structure and was, therefore, snRNP-associated. The presence of this protein in plants, in addition to yeast, Drosophila and humans, and the conservation of large size and epitopes highlights the importance of PRP8 in pre-mRNA splicing.

Blotting, Western↗

PubMed1996

Structural features of U6 snRNA and dynamic interactions with other spliceosomal components leading to pre-mRNA splicing.

In the spliceosome, the pre-mRNA, U2 and U6 snRNAs fold into a catalytic structure exhibiting striking similarities with domain V and VI of group II introns. Building of this tripartite structure implies that an evolutionary conserved base pairing between U4 and U6 snRNAs should be disrupted to allow potentially U6 catalytic residue to interact with U2 snRNAs and the pre-mRNA. The steps leading to U4/U6 disruption have been recently discovered and have been shown to involve a modification of the 3' end of U6 snRNA and the hnRNP C protein.

Base Composition↗

PubMed2004

Spliceosome Sm proteins D1, D3, and B/B' are asymmetrically dimethylated at arginine residues in the nucleus.

We report a novel modification of spliceosome proteins Sm D1, Sm D3, and Sm B/B'. L292 mouse fibroblasts were labeled in vivo with [3H]methionine. Sm D1, Sm D3, and Sm B/B' were purified from either nuclear extracts, cytosolic extracts or a cytosolic 6S complex by immunoprecipitation of the Sm protein-containing complexes and then separation by electrophoresis on a polyacrylamide gel containing urea. The isolated Sm D1, Sm D3 or Sm B/B' proteins were hydrolyzed to amino acids and the products were analyzed by high-resolution cation exchange chromatography. Sm D1, Sm D3, and Sm B/B' isolated from nuclear fractions were all found to contain omega-NG-monomethylarginine and symmetric omega-NG,NG'-dimethylarginine, modifications that have been previously described. In addition, Sm D1, Sm D3, and Sm B/B' were also found to contain asymmetric omega-NG,NG-dimethylarginine in these nuclear fractions. Analysis of Sm B/B' from cytosolic fractions and Sm B/B' and Sm D1 from cytosolic 6S complexes showed only the presence of omega-NG-monomethylarginine and symmetric omega-NG,NG'-dimethylarginine. These results indicate that Sm D1, Sm D3, and Sm B/B' are asymmetrically dimethylated and that these modified proteins are located in the nucleus. In reactions in which Sm D1 or Sm D3 was methylated in vitro with a hemagglutinin-tagged PRMT5 purified from HeLa cells, we detected both symmetric omega-NG,NG'-dimethylarginine and asymmetric omega-NG,NG-dimethylarginine when reactions were done in a Tris/HCl buffer, but only detected symmetric omega-NG,NG'-dimethylarginine when a sodium phosphate buffer was used. These results suggest that the activity responsible for the formation of asymmetric dimethylated arginine residues in Sm proteins is either PRMT5 or a protein associated with it in the immunoprecipitated complex.

Amino Acid Sequence↗