Ribonucleoproteins package 700 nucleotides of pre-mRNA into a repeating array of regular particles

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 2884-2895
Author(s):  
G Conway ◽  
J Wooley ◽  
T Bibring ◽  
W M LeStourgeon

An assay for the in vitro assembly of HeLa cell 40S nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (hnRNP particles) has been developed. The substrates were single-stranded nucleic acid polymers of defined length and sequence prepared in vitro and the six major core particle proteins from isolated 40S hnRNP. The fidelity of in vitro assembly was evaluated on various physical parameters, including sedimentation, salt dissociation, polypeptide stoichiometry, UV-activated protein-RNA cross-linking, and overall morphology. Correct particle assembly depended on RNA length and on the input protein/RNA ratio but not on the concentration of the reactant mixture nor on the presence or absence of internal RNA processing signals, a 5'-cap structure, a 3'-poly(A) moiety, or ATP as energy source. RNA lengths between 685 and 726 nucleotides supported correct particle assembly. Dimers and oligomeric complexes that possessed the same polypeptide stoichiometry as native hnRNP assembled on RNA chains that were integral multiples of 700 nucleotides. Intermediate-length RNA supported the assembly of nonstoichiometric complexes lacking structural homogeneity. An analysis of these complexes indicates that proteins A1 and A2 may be the first proteins to bind RNA during particle assembly. We conclude that the major proteins of 40S hnRNP particles contain the necessary information for packaging nascent transcripts into a repeating "ribonucleosomal" structure possessing a defined RNA length and protein composition but do not themselves contain the information for modulating packaging that may be required for RNA splicing.

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 2884-2895 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Conway ◽  
J Wooley ◽  
T Bibring ◽  
W M LeStourgeon

An assay for the in vitro assembly of HeLa cell 40S nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (hnRNP particles) has been developed. The substrates were single-stranded nucleic acid polymers of defined length and sequence prepared in vitro and the six major core particle proteins from isolated 40S hnRNP. The fidelity of in vitro assembly was evaluated on various physical parameters, including sedimentation, salt dissociation, polypeptide stoichiometry, UV-activated protein-RNA cross-linking, and overall morphology. Correct particle assembly depended on RNA length and on the input protein/RNA ratio but not on the concentration of the reactant mixture nor on the presence or absence of internal RNA processing signals, a 5'-cap structure, a 3'-poly(A) moiety, or ATP as energy source. RNA lengths between 685 and 726 nucleotides supported correct particle assembly. Dimers and oligomeric complexes that possessed the same polypeptide stoichiometry as native hnRNP assembled on RNA chains that were integral multiples of 700 nucleotides. Intermediate-length RNA supported the assembly of nonstoichiometric complexes lacking structural homogeneity. An analysis of these complexes indicates that proteins A1 and A2 may be the first proteins to bind RNA during particle assembly. We conclude that the major proteins of 40S hnRNP particles contain the necessary information for packaging nascent transcripts into a repeating "ribonucleosomal" structure possessing a defined RNA length and protein composition but do not themselves contain the information for modulating packaging that may be required for RNA splicing.


1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 5273-5280 ◽  
Author(s):  
G C Conway ◽  
A R Krainer ◽  
D L Spector ◽  
R J Roberts

Pre-mRNA splicing occurs in a macromolecular complex called the spliceosome. Efforts to isolate spliceosomes from in vitro splicing reactions have been hampered by the presence of endogenous complexes that copurify with de novo spliceosomes formed on added pre-mRNA. We have found that removal of these large complexes from nuclear extracts prevents the splicing of exogenously added pre-mRNA. We therefore examined these complexes for the presence of splicing factors and proteins known or thought to be involved in RNA splicing. These fast-sedimenting structures were found to contain multiple small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) and a fragmented heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein complex. At least two splicing factors other than the snRNPs were also associated with these large structures. Upon incubation with ATP, these splicing factors as well as U1 and U2 snRNPs were released from these complexes. The presence of multiple splicing factors suggests that these complexes may be endogenous spliceosomes released from nuclei during preparation of splicing extracts. The removal of these structures from extracts that had been preincubated with ATP yielded a splicing extract devoid of large structures. This extract should prove useful in the fractionation of splicing factors and the isolation of native spliceosomes formed on exogenously added pre-mRNA.


1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 864-871
Author(s):  
S F Barnett ◽  
T A Theiry ◽  
W M LeStourgeon

The six "core" proteins of HeLa cell 40S nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (hnRNP particles) package 700-nucleotide lengths of pre-mRNA into a repeating array of regular particles. We have previously shown that the C proteins exist as anisotropic tetramers of (C1)3C2 in 40S hnRNP particles and that each particle probably contains three such tetramers. We report here that proteins A2 and B1 also exist in monoparticles as (A2)3B1 tetramers and that each monoparticle contains at least three such tetramers. Proteins A2 and B1 dissociate from isolated monoparticles as a stable tetramer upon nuclease digestion. In low-salt gradients, the tetramers sediment at 6.8S, which is consistent with a mass of 145 kDa. In 200 mM salt, the concentration which dissociates these proteins from RNA, only 4.2S dimers exist in solution. Tetramers of (A2)3B1 possess the ability to package multiples of 700 nucleotides of RNA in vitro into an array of regular, 22.5-nm 43S particles. Unlike the in vitro assembly of intact 40S hnRNP, the (A2)3B1 tetramers assemble by means of a highly cooperative process. These findings indicate that the (A2)3B1 tetramers play a major role in hnRNP assembly and they further support the contention that 40S monoparticles are regular structures composed of three copies of three different tetramers, i.e., 3[(A1)3B2, (A2)3B1, (C1)3C2].


1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 651-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Ellison ◽  
David E. Pulleyblank

We have examined the ability of a topoisomerase purified from chicken erythrocyte nuclei to mediate nucleosome core assembly in vitro at physiological ionic strength (0.15 M NaCl). Although we have detected limited amounts of spontaneously assembled nucleosome cores at this salt concentration, the addition of this topoisomerase does not increase the amount of assembly observed. Nucleosome assembly was assayed by quantitating the amount of core particle length DNA accumulated with time upon the nuclease digestion of histone–DNA complexes. In addition, the amount of negative supercoils introduced into relaxed closed circular DNA upon nucleosome core particle assembly was determined. Correctly assembled complexes do not protect more DNA from nuclease digestion than random histone–DNA complexes but shift the heterogeneous size distribution of protected fragments to a more homogeneous distribution centred around 145 base pairs. Under our conditions of nucleosome assembly, a second histone–DNA complex which is distinct from the nucleosome core can be detected under physiological ionic strength conditions. This particle does not form in high salt assembly experiments. Similarly, the assembly of this particle is unaffected by the presence or absence of topoisomerase.


2002 ◽  
Vol 363 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panayiota KAFASLA ◽  
Meropi PATRINOU-GEORGOULA ◽  
Joe D. LEWIS ◽  
Apostolia GUIALIS

We have investigated the role played in precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) splicing by the protein pair of molecular size 72/74kDa, which are integral components of a discrete subset of heterogeneous nuclear (hn) ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) named large heterogeneous nuclear RNP (LH-nRNP). This 72/74kDa pair of proteins has been shown to belong to the hnRNP M group, and are referred to as 72/74(M). By applying specific immunoprecipitation assays in a consecutive series of splicing reactions in vitro, the antigenic 72/74(M) protein species were found to associate with the pre-mRNA and not the intermediate or final products of splicing. Kinetic studies, combined with isolation of pre-spliceosomal and spliceosomal complexes from the splicing reaction, indicated a loose association of 72/74(M) with both the initially formed H assembly and the first splicing-committed E complex. Stable binding was seen at a later stage of the reaction, well in advance of the appearance of the first intermediate products of RNA splicing. Evidence is provided that supports the almost exclusive association of 72/74(M) with pre-mRNA within the pre-spliceosomal A complex. This dynamic binding appeared to involve pre-mRNA sites similar to those of spliceosomal U1 and U2 small nuclear RNP complexes. Moreover, a preferential binding to a truncated RNA containing the 5′ exon—intron part, rather than the intron—3′ exon part, of pre-mRNA was observed.


2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rushika Perera ◽  
Katherine E. Owen ◽  
Timothy L. Tellinghuisen ◽  
Alexander E. Gorbalenya ◽  
Richard J. Kuhn

ABSTRACT The alphavirus nucleocapsid core is formed through the energetic contributions of multiple noncovalent interactions mediated by the capsid protein. This protein consists of a poorly conserved N-terminal region of unknown function and a C-terminal conserved autoprotease domain with a major role in virion formation. In this study, an 18-amino-acid conserved region, predicted to fold into an α-helix (helix I) and embedded in a low-complexity sequence enriched with basic and Pro residues, has been identified in the N-terminal region of the alphavirus capsid proteins. In Sindbis virus, helix I spans residues 38 to 55 and contains three conserved leucine residues, L38, L45, and L52, conforming to the heptad amino acid organization evident in leucine zipper proteins. Helix I consists of an N-terminally truncated heptad and two complete heptad repeats with β-branched residues and conserved leucine residues occupying the a andd positions of the helix, respectively. Complete or partial deletion of helix I, or single-site substitutions at the conserved leucine residues (L45 and L52), caused a significant decrease in virus replication. The mutant viruses were more sensitive to elevated temperature than wild-type virus. These mutant viruses also failed to accumulate cores in the cytoplasm of infected cells, although they did not have defects in protein translation or processing. Analysis of these mutants using an in vitro assembly system indicated that the majority were defective in core particle assembly. Furthermore, mutant proteins showed a trans-dominant negative phenotype in in vitro assembly reactions involving mutant and wild-type proteins. We propose that helix I plays a central role in the assembly of nucleocapsid cores through coiled coil interactions. These interactions may stabilize subviral intermediates formed through the interactions of the C-terminal domain of the capsid protein and the genomic RNA and contribute to the stability of the virion.


1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 5273-5280
Author(s):  
G C Conway ◽  
A R Krainer ◽  
D L Spector ◽  
R J Roberts

Pre-mRNA splicing occurs in a macromolecular complex called the spliceosome. Efforts to isolate spliceosomes from in vitro splicing reactions have been hampered by the presence of endogenous complexes that copurify with de novo spliceosomes formed on added pre-mRNA. We have found that removal of these large complexes from nuclear extracts prevents the splicing of exogenously added pre-mRNA. We therefore examined these complexes for the presence of splicing factors and proteins known or thought to be involved in RNA splicing. These fast-sedimenting structures were found to contain multiple small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) and a fragmented heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein complex. At least two splicing factors other than the snRNPs were also associated with these large structures. Upon incubation with ATP, these splicing factors as well as U1 and U2 snRNPs were released from these complexes. The presence of multiple splicing factors suggests that these complexes may be endogenous spliceosomes released from nuclei during preparation of splicing extracts. The removal of these structures from extracts that had been preincubated with ATP yielded a splicing extract devoid of large structures. This extract should prove useful in the fractionation of splicing factors and the isolation of native spliceosomes formed on exogenously added pre-mRNA.


1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 864-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
S F Barnett ◽  
T A Theiry ◽  
W M LeStourgeon

The six "core" proteins of HeLa cell 40S nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (hnRNP particles) package 700-nucleotide lengths of pre-mRNA into a repeating array of regular particles. We have previously shown that the C proteins exist as anisotropic tetramers of (C1)3C2 in 40S hnRNP particles and that each particle probably contains three such tetramers. We report here that proteins A2 and B1 also exist in monoparticles as (A2)3B1 tetramers and that each monoparticle contains at least three such tetramers. Proteins A2 and B1 dissociate from isolated monoparticles as a stable tetramer upon nuclease digestion. In low-salt gradients, the tetramers sediment at 6.8S, which is consistent with a mass of 145 kDa. In 200 mM salt, the concentration which dissociates these proteins from RNA, only 4.2S dimers exist in solution. Tetramers of (A2)3B1 possess the ability to package multiples of 700 nucleotides of RNA in vitro into an array of regular, 22.5-nm 43S particles. Unlike the in vitro assembly of intact 40S hnRNP, the (A2)3B1 tetramers assemble by means of a highly cooperative process. These findings indicate that the (A2)3B1 tetramers play a major role in hnRNP assembly and they further support the contention that 40S monoparticles are regular structures composed of three copies of three different tetramers, i.e., 3[(A1)3B2, (A2)3B1, (C1)3C2].


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather L. Drexler ◽  
Karine Choquet ◽  
L. Stirling Churchman

AbstractHuman genes have numerous exons that are differentially spliced within pre-mRNA. Understanding how multiple splicing events are coordinated across nascent transcripts requires quantitative analyses of transient RNA processing events in living cells. We developed nanopore analysis of CO-transcriptional Processing (nano-COP), in which nascent RNAs are directly sequenced through nanopores, exposing the dynamics and patterns of RNA splicing without biases introduced by amplification. nano-COP showed that in both human andDrosophilacells, co-transcriptional splicing occurs after RNA polymerase II transcribes several kilobases of pre-mRNA, suggesting that metazoan splicing transpires distally from the transcription machinery. Inhibition of the branch-site recognition complex SF3B globally abolished co-transcriptional splicing in both species. Our findings revealed that splicing order does not strictly follow the order of transcription and is influenced by cis-regulatory elements. In human cells, introns with delayed splicing frequently neighbor alternative exons and are associated with RNA-binding factors. Moreover, neighboring introns in human cells tend to be spliced concurrently, implying that splicing occurs cooperatively. Thus, nano-COP unveils the organizational complexity of metazoan RNA processing.


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