title: Genetic depletion reveals an essential role for an SR protein splicing factor in vertebrate cells.
abstract: SR proteins are essential for the splicing of messenger RNA precursors in vitro, where they also alter splice site selection in a concentration-dependent manner. Although experiments involving overexpression or dominant mutations have confirmed that these proteins can influence RNA processing decisions in vivo, similar results with loss-of-function mutations have been lacking. Now, a system for genetic depletion of the chicken B cell line DT40 has revealed that the SR protein ASF/SF2 (alternative splicing factor/splicing factor 2) is essential for viability in these cells(1). This study opens the way for a complete functional dissection of this protein, and other SR proteins, in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland, College Park, USA. sm193@umail.umd.edu
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mount
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000502:physiology*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D000068103:Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D000068103:Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors