Cellular strategies for the assembly of molecular machines.
Molecular machines are supramolecular assemblies of biomolecules (proteins, RNA and/or DNA) that facilitate a diversity of biological tasks in the cells of all organisms. How these complex structures are built within the crowded cellular environment is, therefore, a central question in the biological sciences. Recent studies on spliceosomal uridine-rich small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) have unveiled cellular assembly strategies for RNA-protein complexes. snRNPs form in vivo by the coordinated action of an elaborate assembly line consisting of assembly chaperones, scaffolding proteins and catalysts. These newly discovered strategies exhibit similarities to those employed by protein complexes such as ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate-carboxylase (Rubisco) and allow the elucidation of general rules for how molecular machines are formed in vivo.
Chari
Ashwin
A
Department of Biochemistry, Theodor-Boveri Institute, University of Wurzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Wurzburg, Germany. ashwin.chari@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de
Fischer
Utz
U
D000818:Animals; D002468:Cell Physiological Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000378:metabolism*; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000378:metabolism; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D021122:Protein Subunits; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D012313:RNA; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase