Functional analysis of the sea urchin U7 small nuclear RNA

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Mol. Cell. Biol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1128/MCB.8.3.1076· OSTI ID:6971136

Gilmartin, G M; Schaufele, F; Schaffner, G; Birnstiel, M L

U7 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) is an essential component of the RNA-processing machinery which generates the 3' end of mature histone mRNA in the sea urchin. The U7 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) is classified as a member of the Sm-type U snRNP family by virtue of its recognition by both anti-trimethylguanosine and anti-Sm antibodies. The authors analyzed the function-structure relationship of the U7 snRNP by mutagenesis experiments. These suggested that the U7 snRNP of the sea urchin is composed of three important domains. The fist domain encompasses the 5'-terminal sequence, up to about nucleotides 7, which are accessible to micrococcal nuclease, while the remainder of the RNA is highly protected and hence presumably bound by proteins. This region contains the sequence complementarities between the U7 snRNA and the histone pre-mRNA which have previously been shown to be required for 3' processing. Nucleotides 9 to 20 constitute a second domain which includes sequences for Sm protein binding. The complementarities between the U7 snRNA sequences in this region and the terminal palindrome fo the historne mRNA appear to be fortuitous and play only a secondary, if any, role in 3' processing. The third domain is composed of the terminal palindrome of U7 snRNA, the secondary structure of which must be maintained for the U7 snRNP to function, but its sequence can be drastically altered without any observable effect on snRNP assembly or 3' processing.

• Research Organization: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, Duke Univ., Medical Center, Box 3054, Durham, NC (US)
• OSTI ID: 6971136
• Journal Information: Mol. Cell. Biol.; (United States), Journal Name: Mol. Cell. Biol.; (United States) Vol. 8:3; ISSN MCEBD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550200* -- Biochemistry
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
ANTIBODIES
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
DATA
DNA SEQUENCING
ECHINODERMS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HISTONES
INFORMATION
INVERTEBRATES
MESSENGER-RNA
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
MUTAGENESIS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
NUCLEOPROTEINS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
PROTEINS
RNA
RNA PROCESSING
SEA URCHINS
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS