TY - JOUR
T1 - Ribonucleoprotein organization of eukaryotic RNA. XXXII. U2 small nuclear RNA precursors and their accurate 3′ processing in vitro as ribonucleoprotein particles
AU - Wieben, Eric D.
AU - Nenninger, Joan M.
AU - Pederson, Thoru
PY - 1985/5/5
Y1 - 1985/5/5
N2 - Biosynthetic precursors of U2 small nuclear RNA have been identified in cultured human cells by hybrid-selection of pulse-labeled RNA with cloned U2 DNA. These precursor molecules are one to approximately 16 nucleotides longer than mature U2 RNA and contain 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine "caps". The U2 RNA precursors are associated with proteins that react with a monoclonal antibody for antigens characteristic of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles. Like previously described precursors of U1 and U4 small nuclear RNAs, the pre-U2 RNAs are recovered in cytoplasmic fractions, although it is not known if this is their location in vivo. The precursors are processed to mature-size U2 RNA when cytoplasmic extracts are incubated in vitro at 37 °C. Mg2+ is required but ATP is not. The ribonucleoprotein structure of the pre-U2 RNA is maintained during the processing reaction in vitro, as are the 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine caps. The ribonucleoprotein organization is of major importance, as exogenous, protein-free U2 RNA precursors are degraded rapidly in the in vitro system. Two lines of evidence indicate that the conversion of U2 precursors to mature-size U2 RNA involves a 3′ processing reaction. First, the reaction is unaffected by a large excess of mature U2 small nuclear RNP, whose 5′ trimethylguanosine caps would be expected to compete for a 5′ processing activity. Second, when pre-U2 RNA precursors are first stoichiometrically decorated with an antibody specific for 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine, the extent of subsequent processing in vitro is unaffected. These results provide the first demonstration of a eukaryotic RNA processing reaction in vitro occurring within a ribonucleoprotein particle.
AB - Biosynthetic precursors of U2 small nuclear RNA have been identified in cultured human cells by hybrid-selection of pulse-labeled RNA with cloned U2 DNA. These precursor molecules are one to approximately 16 nucleotides longer than mature U2 RNA and contain 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine "caps". The U2 RNA precursors are associated with proteins that react with a monoclonal antibody for antigens characteristic of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles. Like previously described precursors of U1 and U4 small nuclear RNAs, the pre-U2 RNAs are recovered in cytoplasmic fractions, although it is not known if this is their location in vivo. The precursors are processed to mature-size U2 RNA when cytoplasmic extracts are incubated in vitro at 37 °C. Mg2+ is required but ATP is not. The ribonucleoprotein structure of the pre-U2 RNA is maintained during the processing reaction in vitro, as are the 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine caps. The ribonucleoprotein organization is of major importance, as exogenous, protein-free U2 RNA precursors are degraded rapidly in the in vitro system. Two lines of evidence indicate that the conversion of U2 precursors to mature-size U2 RNA involves a 3′ processing reaction. First, the reaction is unaffected by a large excess of mature U2 small nuclear RNP, whose 5′ trimethylguanosine caps would be expected to compete for a 5′ processing activity. Second, when pre-U2 RNA precursors are first stoichiometrically decorated with an antibody specific for 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine, the extent of subsequent processing in vitro is unaffected. These results provide the first demonstration of a eukaryotic RNA processing reaction in vitro occurring within a ribonucleoprotein particle.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0022401689&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0022401689&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0022-2836(85)90281-5
DO - 10.1016/0022-2836(85)90281-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 2409291
AN - SCOPUS:0022401689
VL - 183
SP - 69
EP - 78
JO - Journal of Molecular Biology
JF - Journal of Molecular Biology
SN - 0022-2836
IS - 1
ER -