title: snRNA catalysts in the spliceosome's ancient core.
abstract: The spliceosome, an assembly of snRNAs and proteins, catalyzes the removal of introns from premessenger RNAs. A new study identifies specific phosphates in the U2-U6 snRNA complex that position two catalytic metals. Remarkably, these correspond precisely to metal-binding phosphates in a homologous structure of Group II self-splicing introns, long proposed to be the ribozyme progenitor of spliceosome.
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. Electronic address: hitenmadhani@gmail.com.
authors: Hiten D
authors: HD
authors: Madhani
mesh_terms: D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012342:RNA, Small Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012322:RNA Precursors; D012342:RNA, Small Nuclear