title: HSPC117 is the essential subunit of a human tRNA splicing ligase complex.
abstract: Splicing of mammalian precursor transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules involves two enzymatic steps. First, intron removal by the tRNA splicing endonuclease generates separate 5' and 3' exons. In animals, the second step predominantly entails direct exon ligation by an elusive RNA ligase. Using activity-guided purification of tRNA ligase from HeLa cell extracts, we identified HSPC117, a member of the UPF0027 (RtcB) family, as the essential subunit of a tRNA ligase complex. RNA interference-mediated depletion of HSPC117 inhibited maturation of intron-containing pre-tRNA both in vitro and in living cells. The high sequence conservation of HSPC117/RtcB proteins is suggestive of RNA ligase roles of this protein family in various organisms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), A-1030 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Popow
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Englert
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weitzer
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schleiffer
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mierzwa
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mechtler
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trowitzsch
authors.forename: Cindy L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Will
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lührmann
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Söll
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martinez
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005091:Exons; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D011130:RNA Ligase (ATP) / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000378:metabolism*; D017381:Spliceosomes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D012322:RNA Precursors; C556193:RTCB protein, human; D012343:RNA, Transfer; C108348:tRNA splicing ligase; D011130:RNA Ligase (ATP)