Focus
Focus on splicing
Splicing describes the removal of introns from pre-mRNAs to form mRNAs and is carried out by a large complex, the spliceosome. This processing can have a profound effect on the regulation and number of gene products encoded by the genome. In addition, mutations in key components of the splicing machinery, as well as dysfunction of alternative splicing regulators, have been associated with disease. This focus compiles recent papers that have elucidated the organization, structure and regulation of spliceosomal components, thus shedding light on the mechanistic heart of splicing, whereas the broader Nature Research library highlights recent insights into splicing and the regulation and impact of alternative splicing.
As part of the NSMB Focus on Splicing, we present Splice Talk, interviews with Reinhard Lührmann, Andrew MacMillan and Christine Guthrie about their recent research and splicing more generally.
The interview with Reinhard Lührmann can be found at 0 min, Andrew MacMillan at minute 11:40 and Christine Guthrie at minute 17:48 of the podcast.
Follow links to figure and movie accompanying the Luhrmann interview, and a 3D view of PDB 3ENB for the MacMillan interview.
Current Research
Recognition of atypical 5' splice sites by shifted base-pairing to U1 snRNA-
Xavier Roca & Adrian R Krainer
Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. advance online publication 25 January 2009, doi:10.1038/nsmb.1546 (2009)
ATP-dependent unwinding of U4/U6 snRNAs requires the Brr2 Helicase and the C-terminus of Prp8: Implications for activation of the spliceosome-
Corina Maeder, Alan K. Kutach & Christine Guthrie
Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 16, 42-48 (2009)
Localization of Prp8, Brr2, Snu114 and U4/U6 proteins in the yeast tri-snRNP by electron microscopy-
Irina Häcker, Bjoern Sander, Monika M Golas, Elmar Wolf, Elif Karagöz, Berthold Kastner, Holger Stark, Patrizia Fabrizio & Reinhard Lührmann
Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 15, 1206-1212 (2008)
Structural elucidation of a PRP8 core domain from the heart of the spliceosome-
Dustin B Ritchie, Matthew J Schellenberg, Emily M Gesner, Sheetal A Raithatha, David T Stuart & Andrew M MacMillan
Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 15, 1199-1205 (2008)
A role for ubiquitin in the spliceosome assembly pathway-
Priya Bellare, Eliza C Small, Xinhua Huang, James A Wohlschlegel, Jonathan P Staley & Erik J Sontheimer
Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 15, 444-451 (2008)
News and Views
Alternative splicing: regulation without regulators-
Brenton R Graveley
Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 16, 13-15 (2009)
Is the spliceosome a ribonucleoprotein enzyme?-
John Abelson
Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 15, 1235-1237 (2008)
Modifications target spliceosome dynamics-
Corina Maeder & Christine Guthrie
Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 15, 426-428 (2008)