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RNA splicing mechanisms

Decoding branch points and unlocking splicing secrets

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology volume 31, pages 732–734 (2024)Cite this article

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Branch point selection is required for pre-mRNA splicing, and its mis-regulation is associated with many diseases. Two structural studies provide insights into the dynamics of active site formation and the spliceosomal proteins that may contribute to activation of the correct branch point in eukaryotic introns.

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Fig. 1: Conserved RNA structures form the active site.
Fig. 2: Spliceosomal proteins facilitate assembly onto, and interrogation of, the branch-point sequence.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants R01GM098634 and R01GM140082 (to J.A.P.).

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Sara R. Downs, Bec Grace.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Sara R. Downs, Bec Grace & Jeffrey A. Pleiss

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  1. Sara R. Downs
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  2. Bec Grace
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  3. Jeffrey A. Pleiss
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Correspondence to Jeffrey A. Pleiss.

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Downs, S.R., Grace, B. & Pleiss, J.A. Decoding branch points and unlocking splicing secrets. Nat Struct Mol Biol 31, 732–734 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-024-01308-4

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