title: Splicing of an intervening sequence by protein-free human snRNAs.
abstract: Significant structural and mechanistic similarities between the spliceosomal snRNAs and catalytically critical domains of self-splicing group II introns have led to the hypothesis that the spliceosomes and group II introns may be evolutionarily related. We have previously shown that in vitro-transcribed, protein-free U6 and U2 snRNAs can catalyze a two-step splicing reaction in trans on two short RNA oligonucleotides that is identical to the splicing reactions performed by many self-splicing group II introns. Here we show that the same two snRNAs can perform splicing in cis by removal of an intervening sequence from a model substrate. These results prove that the protein-free snRNAs are competent to perform splicing on pre-mRNAs and further strengthen the possibility of an evolutionary relationship to group II introns.
authors: Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Yasaman
authors: Y
authors: Jaladat
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Zhang
authors: Afshin
authors: A
authors: Mohammadi
authors: Saba
authors: S
authors: Valadkhan
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012326:RNA Splicing; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012342:RNA, Small Nuclear / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D012342:RNA, Small Nuclear; C405484:U2 small nuclear RNA; C405486:U6 small nuclear RNA