Prp8蛋白在前体mRNA剪接中的作用

前体mRNA的剪接是基因表达的关键一步,发生在蛋白质的转录之后与合成之前.在前体mRNA剪接加工过程中需要将转录本中的内含子切除,因为它会干扰基因的转录.前体mRNA的剪接发生在细胞核中,是在一个大的RNA与蛋白质的复合物即剪接体的催化下完成的.Prp8 （precursor mRNA processing）是参与前体mRNA剪接的最大的蛋白,其序列从酵母到人类是高度保守的.Prp8同时也是细胞核内一个最重要的剪接因子.在剪接过程中,Prp8组成剪接体的催化中心.有人推断Prp8是剪接体的支架蛋白,很可能在催化中心起到锚定RNA的作用,同时也调节着激活剪接体所必需的构象变化.Prp8还与色素性视网膜炎的发生密切相关.     

真菌生物信息学研究概况

真菌是真核生物的一大类群,主要包含酵母、霉菌之类的微生物以及最为人所熟知的菇类,无论是在生态、生命周期以及形态都有很大的差别.然而,到目前为止,对于真菌界的了解还很少,预估大约有150万个物种,之中已知种约占5％.1986年,美国科学家Thomas Roderick提出了基因组学概念,1990年代几个物种基因组计划的启动,揭开了历史性的一页.随着生物实验技术和信息处理技术的迅速发展与提高,生物信息学的概念应运而生,利用数学、信息学、统计学和计算机科学的方法研解决生物学的问题.介绍真菌的测序技术,概述了真菌基因组学、转录组学、蛋白质组学等方面的进展,并对真菌生物信息学的未来研究内容进行展望.     

牦牛HSP72蛋白的生物信息学分析

利用一系列的生物信息学软件分析了牦牛HSP72蛋白的氨基酸组成、等电点、亚细胞定位、跨膜区、疏水,亲水区、结构域、特征位点、二级结构等蛋白质性质,并同普通牛、猪和人的蛋白作了对比。结果表明：牦牛的HSP72蛋白共有641个氨基酸;在所分析的指标中,牦牛的HSP72蛋白与普通牛、猪、人相比存在着一定差异,这些差异是否与它们的分布和适应性有关,还有待于进一步研究。     

斑马鱼TATA结合蛋白的生物信息学分析

斑马鱼TATA结合蛋白(TBP)是转录过程中的重要起始因子。利用生物信息学方法对斑马鱼TBP的理化性质、物种间同源性、保守结构域、跨膜区、亲水性/疏水性、蛋白质二级结构、蛋白质三级结构、蛋白质相互作用进行预测分析。分析表明,斑马鱼TBP全长302个氨基酸,等电点9.8,属于TATA结合蛋白超家族,不含跨膜区,属于亲水蛋白;二级结构以无规则卷曲为主,含5个α螺旋区和8个β折叠区,三维建模空间结构可信度98.9%,进一步分析建模结果可靠;与斑马鱼TBP相互作用的蛋白质均为转录因子或TFⅡD复合物组分。分析结果对于深入研究斑马鱼TBP在基因转录中的作用具有一定的理论指导意义。     

SR蛋白家族在RNA剪接中的调控作用

SR蛋白家族成员都具有一个富含丝氨酸/精氨酸(S/R)重复序列的RS结构域,在RNA剪接体的组装和选择性剪接的调控过程中具有重要的作用。绝大多数SR蛋白是生存的必需因子,通过其RS结构域和特有的其他结构域,实现与前体mRNA的特异性序列或其他剪接因子的相互作用,协同完成剪接位点的正确选择或促进剪接体的形成。深入研究SR蛋白家族在RNA选择性剪接中的调控机制,可以促进以疾病治疗或害虫防治为目的的应用研究。该文总结了SR蛋白家族在基础研究和应用方面的进展。     

人Transgelin蛋白家族生物信息学分析

本研究通过对人Transgelin蛋白家族(Transgelins)3位成员(Transgelin,-2,-3)的生物信息学预测分析,显示Transgelin和-2等电点分别为8.87和8.41,Transgelin-3等电点为6.84,3位成员均为非分泌型蛋白,且极有可能是跨膜型蛋白.蛋白质稳定性分析结果显示,除Tr...     

人PRMT5基因的生物信息学分析

PRMT5 (Protein arginine methyltransferase 5)已经广泛地作为组蛋白甲基转移酶修饰H4R3、H2AR3和H3R8,从而潜在地影响多个信号传导途径。本研究为了对人PRMT5基因进行生物信息学方面的深入分析,以PRMT5基因序列及编码蛋白序列为材料,通过生物信息学方法分析了PRMT5基因的DNA序列、启动子及CpG岛、RNA结构,及该蛋白的理化性质、亚细胞定位、信号肽与跨膜区域、互作蛋白、系统发育等。研究结果表明,人PRMT5在物种间的保守性相对较高,位于染色体14q11.2,大小为1 911 bp,潜在核心启动子在1 014~1 064 bp,没有预测到CpG岛。PRMT5基因编码637个氨基酸残基,分子量为10 157 Da,等电点为5.88,不稳定系数是44.33;该蛋白更可能定位于细胞质,无明显的信号肽及跨膜结构;主要的二级结构元件是α-螺旋结构和无规卷曲,包含一个SAM-dependent MTase功能结构域,同时有10个可能的互作蛋白;进化分析表明黑猩猩和猕猴与人PRMT5蛋白亲缘关系最近。     

真菌中G蛋白信号调控因子蛋白类型与其理化性质的关系

[目的]G蛋白信号调控因子(RGS)作为G蛋白信号转导途径的负调控因子,在植物病原菌的致病性和有性生殖调控方面发挥着重要作用.研究真菌中RGS蛋白类型与其理化性质及特征的关系,为今后深入开展不同真菌中具有不同类别RGS的功能解析打下坚实的理论基础.[方法]前期对模式生物、病原菌、非致病菌等49个真菌中229个RGS蛋白...     

沙冬青AmLEA5基因的生物信息学分析及非生物胁迫下的表达模式

本文对用固相扣除杂交方法从低温驯化沙冬青克隆得到的AmLEA5基因进行分子特性和表达模式分析,生物信息学分析表明该基因编码一种第5族胚胎晚期发生丰富蛋白（LEA）。AmLEA5基因全长693 bp,含有1个297 bp的开放阅读框,编码98个氨基酸,预测AmLEA5的分子量为10.6 kDa,是一种亲水性蛋白,有多个磷酸化位点。密码子偏好性分析表明该基因略偏好于用A或T结尾的密码子。系统发生分析表明,AmLEA5蛋白与蒺藜苜蓿LEA（ACJ84182.1）亲缘关系最近。qRT-PCR结果显示AmLEA5的表达量在低温、干旱、盐和热胁迫条件下均有上调,尤其在低温胁迫后期富集量最高。亚细胞定位表明,用YFP标记的AmLEA5位于细胞质和细胞核内。一系列实验结果说明AmLEA5基因在沙冬青抵御非生物胁迫,尤其是在抵御低温胁迫机制中发挥重要作用。     

真菌疏水蛋白的研究进展

疏水蛋白这一名词最早是由Rosenberg和Kjelleberg(1986)在研究细菌与寄主吸附机理时提出的,意指覆盖在微生物细胞表面的任何疏水物质(Hydrophobic substances).Wessels研究小组发现裂褶菌(Schizophyllum commune)子实体和气生菌丝形成时,某些基因及其相应的cDNA序列可以编码约100个氨基酸的小蛋白.它含有8个半胱氨酸残基和一段分泌性的信号肽.他们把上述这一类物质统称为疏水蛋白(Hydrophobin)[1].在许多丝状真菌中已发现疏水蛋白的存在,其生物学功能是目前研究热点之一.     

DExD/H-box Prp5 protein is in the spliceosome during most of the splicing cycle

The DExD/H-box Prp5 protein (Prp5p) is an essential, RNA-dependent ATPase required for pre-spliceosome formation during nuclear pre-mRNA splicing. In order to understand how this protein functions, we used in vitro, biochemical assays to examine its association with the spliceosome from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. GST-Prp5p in splicing assays pulls down radiolabeled pre-mRNA as well as splicing intermediates and lariat product, but reduced amounts of spliced mRNA. It cosediments with active spliceosomes isolated by glycerol gradient centrifugation. In ATP-depleted extracts, GST-Prp5p associates with pre-mRNA even in the absence of spliceosomal snRNAs. Maximal selection in either the presence or absence of ATP requires a pre-mRNA with a functional intron. Prp5p is present in the commitment complex and functions in subsequent pre-spliceosome formation. Reduced Prp5p levels decrease levels of commitment, pre-spliceosomal and spliceosomal complexes. Thus Prp5p is most likely an integral component of the spliceosome, being among the first splicing factors associating with pre-mRNA and remaining until spliceosome disassembly. The results suggest a model in which Prp5p recruits the U2 snRNP to pre-mRNA in the commitment complex and then hydrolyzes ATP to promote stable association of U2 in the pre-spliceosome. They also suggest that Prp5p could have multiple ATP-independent and ATP-dependent functions at several stages of the splicing cycle.     

The splice is right: guarantors of fidelity in pre-mRNA splicing

Two recent papers, one from the Staley laboratory (Koodathingal and colleagues) and the other from the Cheng laboratory (Tseng and colleagues), show that the RNA-dependent ATPase Prp16, which is required for the second step of splicing, acts to reject slowly splicing pre-mRNAs immediately before the first catalytic reaction in pre-mRNA splicing. The results answer long-investigated questions about the actions of Prp16 and provide a wealth of molecular details on the proofreading process in pre-mRNA splicing. The discussion here reviews and integrates the results of the two papers and describes the implications for proofreading in splicing.     

Spliceosome assembly in the absence of stable U4/U6 RNA pairing

The cycle of spliceosome assembly, intron excision, and spliceosome disassembly involves large-scale structural rearrangements of U6 snRNA that are functionally important. U6 enters the splicing pathway bound to the Prp24 protein, which chaperones annealing of U6 to U4 RNA to form a U4/U6 di-snRNP. During catalytic activation of the assembled spliceosome, U4 snRNP is released and U6 is paired to U2 snRNA. Here we show that point mutations in U4 and U6 that decrease U4/U6 base-pairing in vivo are lethal in combination. However, this synthetic phenotype is rescued by a mutation in U6 that alters a U6–Prp24 contact and stabilizes U2/U6. Remarkably, the resulting viable triple mutant strain lacks detectable U4/U6 base-pairing and U4/U6 di-snRNP. Instead, this strain accumulates free U4 snRNP, protein-free U6 RNA, and a novel complex containing U2/U6 di-snRNP. Further mutational analysis indicates that disruption of the U6–Prp24 interaction rather than stabilization of U2/U6 renders stable U4/U6 di-snRNP assembly nonessential. We propose that an essential function of U4/U6 pairing is to displace Prp24 from U6 RNA, and thus a destabilized U6–Prp24 complex renders stable U4/U6 pairing nonessential.     

An unanticipated early function of DEAD-box ATPase Prp28 during commitment to splicing is modulated by U5 snRNP protein Prp8

The stepwise assembly of the highly dynamic spliceosome is guided by RNA-dependent ATPases of the DEAD-box family, whose regulation is poorly understood. In the canonical assembly model, the U4/U6.U5 triple snRNP binds only after joining of the U1 and, subsequently, U2 snRNPs to the intron-containing pre-mRNA. Catalytic activation requires the exchange of U6 for U1 snRNA at the 5′ splice site, which is promoted by the DEAD-box protein Prp28. Because Prp8, an integral U5 snRNP protein, is thought to be a central regulator of DEAD-box proteins, we conducted a targeted search in Prp8 for cold-insensitive suppressors of a cold-sensitive Prp28 mutant, prp28-1. We identified a cluster of suppressor mutations in an N-terminal bromodomain-like sequence of Prp8. To identify the precise defect in prp28-1 strains that is suppressed by the Prp8 alleles, we analyzed spliceosome assembly in vivo and in vitro. Surprisingly, in the prp28-1 strain, we observed a block not only to spliceosome activation but also to one of the earliest steps of assembly, formation of the ATP-independent commitment complex 2 (CC2). The Prp8 suppressor partially corrected both the early assembly and later activation defects of prp28-1, supporting a role for this U5 snRNP protein in both the ATP-independent and ATP-dependent functions of Prp28. We conclude that the U5 snRNP has a role in the earliest events of assembly, prior to its stable incorporation into the spliceosome.     

Structure and function of an RNase H domain at the heart of the spliceosome

Precursor-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing encompasses two sequential transesterification reactions in distinct active sites of the spliceosome that are transiently established by the interplay of small nuclear (sn) RNAs and spliceosomal proteins. Protein Prp8 is an active site component but the molecular mechanisms, by which it might facilitate splicing catalysis, are unknown. We have determined crystal structures of corresponding portions of yeast and human Prp8 that interact with functional regions of the pre-mRNA, revealing a phylogenetically conserved RNase H fold, augmented by Prp8-specific elements. Comparisons to RNase H-substrate complexes suggested how an RNA encompassing a 5'-splice site (SS) could bind relative to Prp8 residues, which on mutation, suppress splice defects in pre-mRNAs and snRNAs. A truncated RNase H-like active centre lies next to a known contact region of the 5'SS and directed mutagenesis confirmed that this centre is a functional hotspot. These data suggest that Prp8 employs an RNase H domain to help assemble and stabilize the spliceosomal catalytic core, coordinate the activities of other splicing factors and possibly participate in chemical catalysis of splicing.     

Mutations in the U5 snRNA result in altered splicing of subsets of pre-mRNAs and reduced stability of Prp8

The U5 snRNA loop 1 aligns the 5′ and 3′ exons for ligation during the second step of pre-mRNA splicing. U5 is intimately associated with Prp8, which mediates pre-mRNA repositioning within the catalytic core of the spliceosome and interacts directly with U5 loop 1. The genome-wide effect of three U5 loop 1 mutants has been assessed by microarray analysis. These mutants exhibited impaired and improved splicing of subsets of pre-mRNAs compared to wild-type U5. Analysis of pre-mRNAs that accumulate revealed a change in base prevalence at specific positions near the splice sites. Analysis of processed pre-mRNAs exhibiting mRNA accumulation revealed a bias in base prevalence at one position within the 5′ exon. While U5 loop 1 can interact with some of these positions the base bias is not directly related to sequence changes in loop 1. All positions that display a bias in base prevalence are at or next to positions known to interact with Prp8. Analysis of Prp8 in the presence of the three U5 loop 1 mutants revealed that the most severe mutant displayed reduced Prp8 stability. Depletion of U5 snRNA in vivo also resulted in reduced Prp8 stability. Our data suggest that certain mutations in U5 loop 1 perturb the stability of Prp8 and may affect interactions of Prp8 with a subset of pre-mRNAs influencing their splicing. Therefore, the integrity of U5 is important for the stability of Prp8 during splicing and provides one possible explanation for why U5 loop 1 and Prp8 are so highly conserved.     

Physical and genetic interactions of yeast Cwc21p,an ortholog of human SRm300/SRRM2, suggest a role at the catalytic center of the spliceosome

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cwc21p is a protein of unknown function that is associated with the NineTeen Complex (NTC), a group of proteins involved in activating the spliceosome to promote the pre-mRNA splicing reaction. Here, we show that Cwc21p binds directly to two key splicing factors—namely, Prp8p and Snu114p—and becomes the first NTC-related protein known to dock directly to U5 snRNP proteins. Using a combination of proteomic techniques we show that the N-terminus of Prp8p contains an intramolecular fold that is a Snu114p and Cwc21p interacting domain (SCwid). Cwc21p also binds directly to the C-terminus of Snu114p. Complementary chemical cross-linking experiments reveal reciprocal protein footprints between the interacting Prp8 and Cwc21 proteins, identifying the conserved cwf21 domain in Cwc21p as a Prp8p binding site. Genetic and functional interactions between Cwc21p and Isy1p indicate that they have related functions at or prior to the first catalytic step of splicing, and suggest that Cwc21p functions at the catalytic center of the spliceosome, possibly in response to environmental or metabolic changes. We demonstrate that SRm300, the only SR-related protein known to be at the core of human catalytic spliceosomes, is a functional ortholog of Cwc21p, also interacting directly with Prp8p and Snu114p. Thus, the function of Cwc21p is likely conserved from yeast to humans.