Arginine/serine-rich domains of the su(wa) and tra RNA processing regulators target proteins to a subnuclear compartment implicated in splicing.
Two unrelated pre-mRNA splicing regulators-suppressor-of-white-apricot (su(wa)) and transformer (tra)-contain distinctive, approximately 120 amino acid arginine/serine (RS)-rich domains. Deletion of the su(wa) RS domain eliminates function. Replacement with the tra RS domain restores su(wa) function to nearly wild-type levels. Replacement with a 10 amino acid simple nuclear entry signal allows partial, inefficient function. Thus, the su(wa) RS domain apparently serves a generic function(s) subsuming nuclear entry. Moreover, immunocytochemical studies demonstrate that both RS domains specifically direct localization of a fused reporter protein to a punctate subnuclear compartment shown previously to be enriched in several constitutive splicing components. We propose that RS domains are a new class of targeting signals directing concentration of proteins in a subnuclear compartment implicated in splicing metabolism.
Li
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Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794.
Bingham
P M
PM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000502:physiology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005813:Genes, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000502:physiology*; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000502:physiology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012694:Serine / Q000502:physiology; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000235:genetics; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D012322:RNA Precursors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012694:Serine; D001120:Arginine; D001616:beta-Galactosidase