Accumulation of a novel spliceosomal complex on pre-mRNAs containing branch site mutations.

Pre-mRNA assembles into spliceosomal complexes in the stepwise pathway E-->A-->B-->C. We show that mutations in the metazoan branchpoint sequence (BPS) have no apparent effect on E complex formation but block the assembly of the A complex and the UV cross-linking of U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) proteins. Unexpectedly, a novel complex, designated E*, assembles on pre-mRNAs containing BPS mutations. Unlike the E complex, the E* complex accumulates in the presence of ATP. U1 snRNP and U2AF, which are tightly bound to pre-mRNA in the E complex, are not tightly bound in the E* complex. Significantly, previous work showed that U1 snRNP and U2AF become destabilized from pre-mRNA after E complex assembly on normal pre-mRNAs. Thus, our data are consistent with a model in which there are two steps in the transition from the E complex to the A complex (E-->E*-->A). In the first step, U1 snRNP and U2AF are destabilized in an ATP-dependent, BPS-independent reaction. In the second step, the stable binding of U2 snRNP occurs in a BPS-dependent reaction.     

Human RBM28 protein is a specific nucleolar component of the spliceosomal snRNPs

The biogenesis of spliceosomal small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) involves organized translocations between the cytoplasm and certain nuclear domains, such as Cajal bodies and nucleoli. Here we identify human RBM28 protein as a novel snRNP component, based on affinity selection of U6 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP). As shown by immunofluorescence, RBM28 is a nucleolar protein. Anti-RBM28 immunoprecipitation from HeLa cell lysates revealed that this protein specifically associates with U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6 snRNAs. Our data provide the first evidence that RBM28 is a common nucleolar component of the spliceosomal ribonucleoprotein complexes, possibly coordinating their transition through the nucleolus.     

SMN interacts with a novel family of hnRNP and spliceosomal proteins

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a common neurodegenerative disease caused by deletion or loss-of-function mutations of the survival of motor neurons (SMN) protein. SMN is in a complex with several proteins, including Gemin2, Gemin3 and Gemin4, and it plays important roles in small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) biogenesis and in pre-mRNA splicing. Here, we characterize three new hnRNP proteins, collectively referred to as hnRNP Qs, which are derived from alternative splicing of a single gene. The hnRNP Q proteins interact with SMN, and the most common SMN mutant found in SMA patients is defective in its interactions with them. We further demonstrate that hnRNP Qs are required for efficient pre-mRNA splicing in vitro. The hnRNP Q proteins may provide a molecular link between the SMN complex and splicing.     

Functional association of essential splicing factor(s) with PRP19 in a protein complex.

We have previously shown that the yeast PRP19 protein is a spliceosomal component, but is not tightly associated with small nuclear RNAs. It appears to associate with the spliceosome concomitant with or just after dissociation of the U4 small nuclear RNA during spliceosome assembly. We have found that PRP19 is associated with a protein complex in the splicing extract and that at least one of the associated components is essential for splicing. Taking advantage of the epitope tagging technique, we have isolated the PRP19-associated complex by affinity chromatography. The isolated complex is functional for complementation for the heat-inactivated prp19 mutant extract, and consists of at least seven polypeptides in addition to PRP19. At least three of these can interact directly with the PRP19 protein. We also show that the PRP19 protein itself is in an oligomeric form, which might be a prerequisite for its interaction with these proteins.     

The PRP31 gene encodes a novel protein required for pre-mRNA splicing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The pre-mRNA splicing factor Prp31p was identified in a screen of temperature-sensitive yeast strains for those exhibiting a splicing defect upon shift to the non- permissive temperature. The wild-type PRP31 gene was cloned and shown to be essential for cell viability. The PRP31 gene is predicted to encode a 60 kDa polypeptide. No similarities with other known splicing factors or motifs indicative of protein-protein or RNA-protein interaction domains are discernible in the predicted amino acid sequence. A PRP31 allele bearing a triple repeat of the hemagglutinin epitope has been generated. The tagged protein is functional in vivo and a single polypeptide species of the predicted size was detected by Western analysis with proteins from yeast cell extracts. Functional Prp31p is required for the processing of pre-mRNA species both in vivo and in vitro, indicating that the protein is directly involved in the splicing pathway.     

A novel two-protein component flavoprotein hydroxylase.

p-Hydroxyphenylacetate (HPA) hydroxylase (HPAH) was purified from Acinetobacter baumannii and shown to be a two-protein component enzyme. The small component (C1) is the reductase enzyme with a subunit molecular mass of 32 kDa. C1 alone catalyses HPA-stimulated NADH oxidation without hydroxylation of HPA. C1 is a flavoprotein with FMN as a native cofactor but can also bind to FAD. The large component (C2) is the hydroxylase component that hydroxylates HPA in the presence of C1. C2 is a tetrameric enzyme with a subunit molecular mass of 50 kDa and apparently contains no redox centre. FMN, FAD, or riboflavin could be used as coenzymes for hydroxylase activity with FMN showing the highest activity. Our data demonstrated that C2 alone was capable of utilizing reduced FMN to form the product 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetate. Mixing reduced flavin with C2 also resulted in the formation of a flavin intermediate that resembled a C(4a)-substituted flavin species indicating that the reaction mechanism of the enzyme proceeded via C(4a)-substituted flavin intermediates. Based on the available evidence, we conclude that the reaction mechanism of HPAH from A. baumannii is similar to that of bacterial luciferase. The enzyme uses a luciferase-like mechanism and reduced flavin (FMNH2, FADH2, or reduced riboflavin) to catalyse the hydroxylation of aromatic compounds, which are usually catalysed by FAD-associated aromatic hydroxylases.     

Haploinsufficiency of SF3B4, a component of the pre-mRNA spliceosomal complex, causes Nager syndrome

Nager syndrome, first described more than 60 years ago, is the archetype of a class of disorders called the acrofacial dysostoses, which are characterized by craniofacial and limb malformations. Despite intensive efforts, no gene for Nager syndrome has yet been identified. In an international collaboration, FORGE Canada and the National Institutes of Health Centers for Mendelian Genomics used exome sequencing as a discovery tool and found that mutations in SF3B4, a component of the U2 pre-mRNA spliceosomal complex, cause Nager syndrome. After Sanger sequencing of SF3B4 in a validation cohort, 20 of 35 (57%) families affected by Nager syndrome had 1 of 18 different mutations, nearly all of which were frameshifts. These results suggest that most cases of Nager syndrome are caused by haploinsufficiency of SF3B4. Our findings add Nager syndrome to a growing list of disorders caused by mutations in genes that encode major components of the spliceosome and also highlight the synergistic potential of international collaboration when exome sequencing is applied in the search for genes responsible for rare Mendelian phenotypes.     

JEAP, a novel component of tight junctions in exocrine cells.

Tight junctions (TJs) consist of transmembrane proteins and many peripheral membrane proteins. To further characterize the molecular organization of TJs, we attempted here to screen for novel TJ proteins by the fluorescence localization-based expression cloning method. We identified a novel peripheral membrane protein at TJs and named it junction-enriched and -associated protein (JEAP). JEAP consists of 882 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 98,444. JEAP contained a polyglutamic acid repeat at the N-terminal region, a coiled-coil domain at the middle region, and a consensus motif for binding to PDZ domains at the C-terminal region. Exogenously expressed JEAP co-localized with ZO-1 and occludin at TJs in polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, but not with claudin-1, JAM, or ZO-1 in L cells. Endogenous JEAP localized at TJs of exocrine cells including pancreas, submandibular gland, lacrimal gland, parotid gland, and sublingual gland, but not at TJs of epithelial cells of small intestine or endothelial cells of blood vessels. The present results indicate that JEAP is a novel component of TJs, which is specifically expressed in exocrine cells.     

PRP19 Transforms into a Sensor of RPA-ssDNA after DNA Damage and Drives ATR Activation via a Ubiquitin-Mediated Circuitry

1. Download : Download high-res image (113KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

The spliceosomal snRNAs of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Nematodes are the only group of organisms in which both cis- and trans-splicing of nuclear mRNAs are known to occur. Most Caenorhabditis elegans introns are exceptionally short, often only 50 bases long. The consensus donor and acceptor splice site sequences found in other animals are used for both cis- and trans-splicing. In order to identify the machinery required for these splicing events, we have characterized the C. elegans snRNAs. They are similar in sequence and structure to those characterized in other organisms, and several sequence variations discovered in the nematode snRNAs provide support for previously proposed structure models. The C. elegans snRNAs are encoded by gene families. We report here the sequences of many of these genes. We find a highly conserved sequence, the proximal sequence element (PSE), about 65 bp upstream of all 21 snRNA genes thus far sequenced, including the SL RNA genes, which specify the snRNAs that provide the 5' exons in trans-splicing. The sequence of the C. elegans PSE is distinct from PSE's from other organisms.     

A novel CHHC Zn-finger domain found in spliceosomal proteins and tRNA modifying enzymes

We report a previously uncharacterized CHHC Zn-finger domain identified in spliceosomal U11-48K proteins, tRNA methyl-transferases TRM13 and gametocyte specific factors. We show that this domain behaves as an independent folding unit and that it stoichiometrically binds zinc in a one-to-one ratio. Based on the conserved sequence features we predict that this domain may function as a RNA recognition and binding module.     

Human PRP19 interacts with prolyl-hydroxylase PHD3 and inhibits cell death in hypoxia

Prolyl-hydroxylase PHDs are the key regulators of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stability. PHD3 has been shown to form a large complex under hypoxic conditions. While attempting to characterize the complex by determining its components, we identified human PRP19. hPRP19 is a multi-functional protein that plays a role in splicing, ubiquitination, and cell growth. Here, we report that PHD3 efficiently forms a complex with hPRP19 under hypoxic conditions and prevents cell death under prolonged hypoxic conditions. hPRP19 interacts with PHD3 via its C-terminal WD40 region, and the interaction is enhanced under hypoxic conditions through the utilization of the N-terminal coiled-coil domain. Cell death observed under prolonged hypoxic conditions is suppressed by the forced expression of hPRP19 in PC12 and HEK293T cells. In contrast, hPRP19 silencing by siRNA increased the caspase activity and enhanced cell death under hypoxic conditions in HeLa cells. Further, silencing of both PHD3 and hPRP19 recovers the cell death induced by hPRP19 single siRNA. Taken together, the results of our study indicate that hPRP19 interacts with PHD3 to suppress the cell death under hypoxic conditions by limiting the function of PHD3 which leads to caspase activation.     

SLU7 and a novel activity, SSF1, act during the PRP16-dependent step of yeast pre-mRNA splicing.

Understanding the mechanism of pre-mRNA splicing requires the characterization of all components involved. In the present study, we used the genetically and biochemically defined yeast PRP16 protein as a point of departure for the identification of additional factors required for the second catalytic step in vitro. We isolated by glycerol gradient sedimentation spliceosomes that were formed in yeast extracts depleted of PRP16. This procedure separated the spliceosomal complexes containing lariat intermediate and exon 1 from free proteins present in the whole-cell yeast extract. We then supplemented these spliceosomes with purified proteins or yeast extract fractions as a functional assay for second-step splicing factors. We show that SLU7 protein and a novel activity that we named SSF1 (second-step factor 1) were required in concert with PRP16 to promote progression through the second catalytic step of splicing. Taking advantage of a differential ATP requirement for PRP16 and SLU7 function, we show that SLU7 can act after PRP16 in the splicing pathway.