The WW domain-containing proteins interact with the early spliceosome and participate in pre-mRNA splicing in vivo

Mol Cell Biol. 2004 Oct;24(20):9176-85. doi: 10.1128/MCB.24.20.9176-9185.2004.

Abstract

A growing body of evidence supports the coordination of mRNA synthesis and its subsequent processing events. Nuclear proteins harboring both WW and FF protein interaction modules bind to splicing factors as well as RNA polymerase II and may serve to link transcription with splicing. To understand how WW domains coordinate the assembly of splicing complexes, we used glutathione S-transferase fusions containing WW domains from CA150 or FBP11 in pull-down experiments with HeLa cell nuclear extract. The WW domains associate preferentially with the U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein and with splicing factors SF1, U2AF, and components of the SF3 complex. Accordingly, WW domain-associating factors bind to the 3' part of a pre-mRNA to form a pre-spliceosome-like complex. We performed both in vitro and in vivo splicing assays to explore the role of WW/FF domain-containing proteins in this process. However, although CA150 is associated with the spliceosome, it appears to be dispensable for splicing in vitro. Nevertheless, in vivo depletion of CA150 substantially reduced splicing efficiency of a reporter pre-mRNA. Moreover, overexpression of CA150 fragments containing both WW and FF domains activated splicing and modulated alternative exon selection, probably by facilitating 3' splice site recognition. Our results suggest an essential role of WW/FF domain-containing factors in pre-mRNA splicing that likely occurs in concert with transcription in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Exons
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Mice
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • RNA Polymerase II / metabolism
  • RNA Precursors / metabolism*
  • RNA Splicing Factors
  • RNA Splicing*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Ribonucleoprotein, U2 Small Nuclear / metabolism
  • Ribonucleoproteins / metabolism
  • Spliceosomes / metabolism*
  • Splicing Factor U2AF
  • Trans-Activators / chemistry
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Transcriptional Elongation Factors

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Fnbp3 protein, mouse
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA Precursors
  • RNA Splicing Factors
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Ribonucleoprotein, U2 Small Nuclear
  • Ribonucleoproteins
  • SF1 protein, human
  • Splicing Factor U2AF
  • TCERG1 protein, human
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcription Factors
  • Transcriptional Elongation Factors
  • U2AF2 protein, human
  • Zrsr1 protein, mouse
  • RNA Polymerase II