Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Crystal structure at 1.92 Å resolution of the RNA-binding domain of the U1A spliceosomal protein complexed with an RNA hairpin

Abstract

The crystal structure of the RNA-binding domain of the small nuclear ribonucleoprotein U1A bound to a 21-nucleotide RNA hairpin has been determined at 1.92 Å resolution. The ten-nucleotide RNA loop binds to the surface of the β-sheet as an open structure, and the AUUGCAC sequence of the loop interacts extensively with the conserved RNP1 and RNP2 motifs and the C-terminal extension of the RNP domain. These interactions include stacking of RNA bases with aromatic side chains of proteins and many direct and water-mediated hydrogen bonds. The structure reveals the stereochemical basis for sequence-specific RNA recognition by the RNP domain.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lührmann, R., Kastner, B. & Bach, M. Biochim. biophys. Acta 1087, 265–292 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Steitz, J. A. et al. in Structure and Function of Major and Minor snRNPs (eds Birnstiel, M. L.) 115–154 (Springer, New York, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Nagai, K. & Mattaj, I. W. in RNA-protein interactions (eds Nagai, K. & Mattaj, I. W.) 150–176 (IRL, Oxford, 1994).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Sillekens, P. T. G., Habets, W. J., Beijer, R. P. & van Venrooij, W. J. EMBO J. 6, 3841–3848 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Burd, C. G. & Dreyfuss, G. Science 265, 615–621 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Birney, E., Kumar, S. & Krainer, A. Nucleic Acids Res. 21, 5803–5816 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Scherley, D. et al. EMBO J. 8, 4163–4170 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Bach, M., Krol, A. & Lührmann, R. Nucleic Acids Res. 18, 449–457 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Scherley, D., Boelens, W., Dathan, N. A., van Venrooij, W. J. & Mattaj, I. W. Nature 345, 502–506 (1990).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Nagai, K., Oubridge, C., Jessen, T.-H., Li, J. & Evans, P. R. Nature 348, 515–520 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Jessen, T.-H., Oubridge, C., Teo, C. H., Pritchard, C. & Nagai, K. EMBO J. 10, 3447–3456 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Scherley, D., Dathan, N. A., Boelens, W., van Venrooij, W. J. & Mattaj, I. W. EMBO J. 9, 3675–3681 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Lutz-Freyermuth, C., Query, C. C. & Keene, J. D. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 6393–6397 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Hall, K. B. Biochemistry 33, 10076–10088 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Howe, P. W. A., Nagai, K., Neuhaus, D. & Varani, G. EMBO J. 13, 3873–3881 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hoffmann, D. W., Query, C. C., Golden, B. L., White, S. W. & Keene, J. D. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 2495–2499 (1991).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Habets, W. J. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 2421–2425 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Wittekind, M., Görlach, M., Friedrichs, M., Dreyfuss, G. & Mueller, L. Biochemistry 31, 6254–6265 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Görlach, M., Wittekind, M., Beckman, R. A., Mueller, L. & Dreyfuss, G. EMBO J. 11, 3289–3295 (1992).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Boelens, W. C. et al. Cell 72, 881–892 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. van Gelder, C. W. G. et al. EMBO J. 12, 5191–5200 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Usman, N., Ogilvie, K. K., Tiang, M.-Y. & Cedergren, R. G. J. Am. chem. Soc. 109, 7845–7854 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Nagai, K., Evans, P. R., Li, J. & Oubridge, C. in Isomorphous Replacement and Anomalous Scattering. Proc. CCP4 St. W. (eds Wolf, W., Evans, P. R. & Leslie, A. G. W.) 141–149 (Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, UK, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Tronrud, D. E., TenEyck, L. F. & Matthews, B. W. Acta crystallogr. A43, 489–501 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Tsai, D. E., Harper, D. S. & Keene, J. D. Nucleic Acids Res. 19, 4931–4936 (1992).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Görlach, M., Burd, C. G. & Dreyfuss, G. J. biol. Chem. 269, 23074–23078 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Query, C. C., Bentley, R. C. & Keene, J. D. Cell 57, 89–101 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Kim, Y., Geiger, J. H., Hahn, S. & Sigler, P. B. Nature 365, 512–519 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Kim, J. L., Nikolov, D. B. & Burley, S. K. Nature 365, 520–527 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Burd, C. G. & Dreyfuss, G. EMBO J. 13, 1197–1204 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Görlach, M., Burd, C. G. & Dreyfuss, G. Expl Cell Res. 211, 400–407 (1994).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Rould, M. A., Perona, J. J., Söll, D. & Steitz, T. A. Science 246, 1135–1142 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Ruff, M. et al. Science 252, 1682–1689 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Belrhali, H. et al. Science 263, 1432–1436 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Rould, M. A., Perona, J. J. & Steitz, T. A. Nature 352, 213–218 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Cavarelli, J., Rees, B., Ruff, M., Thierry, J.-C. & Moras, D. Nature 362, 181–184 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Valegård, K., Murray, J. B., Stockley, P. G., Stonehouse, N. J. & Liljas, L. Nature 371, 623–626 (1994).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. Lindahl, M. et al. EMBO J. 13, 1249–1254 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Sakabe, N. Nucl. Inst. Meth. A303, 448–463 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Leslie, A. G. W. in Joint CCP4 and ESF-EACMB Newsletter on Protein Crystallography No. 26 (Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, UK, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  41. CCP4 suite Acta crystallogr. D50, 760–763 (1994).

  42. Cosier, J. & Glazer, A. M. J. appl. Cryst. 19, 105–107 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Teng, T. J. appl. Crystallogr. 23, 387–391 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Sheldrick, G. M. in Isomorphous Replacement and Anomalous Scattering, Proc. CCP4 St. W. (eds Wolf, W., Evans, P. R., & Leslie, A. G. W.) 23–38 (Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, UK, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  45. Otwinowski, Z. in Isomorphous Replacement and Anomalous Scattering, Proc. CCP4 St. W. (eds Wolf, W., Evans, P. R. & Leslie, A. G. W.) 80–86 (Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, UK, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  46. Abrahams, J. P., Leslie, A. G. A., Lutter, R. & Walker, J. E. Nature 370, 621–628 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Jones, T. A., Zou, J. Y., Cowan, S. W. & Kjeldgaard, M. Acta crystallogr. A47, 110–119 (1991).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Krol, A. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 18, 3803–3811 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Brünger, A. T. Nature 335, 472–475 (1992).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  50. Gait, M. J., Pritchard, C. & Slim, G. in Oligonucleotide Synthesis: A Practical Approach (ed. Eckstein. F.) 25–48 (IRL, Oxford, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Oubridge, C., Ito, N., Evans, P. et al. Crystal structure at 1.92 Å resolution of the RNA-binding domain of the U1A spliceosomal protein complexed with an RNA hairpin. Nature 372, 432–438 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/372432a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/372432a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing