Human transcription co-regulator SNW1/SKIP is implicated in the regulation of both transcription elongation and alternative splicing. Prp45, the SNW/SKIP ortholog in yeast, is assumed to be essential for pre-mRNA processing. Here, we characterize prp45(1-169), a temperature sensitive allele of PRP45, which at permissive temperature elicits cell division defects and hypersensitivity to microtubule inhibitors. Using a synthetic lethality screen, we found that prp45(1-169) genetically interacts with alleles of NTC members SYF1, CLF1/SYF3, NTC20, and CEF1, and 2nd step splicing factors SLU7, PRP17, PRP18, and PRP22. Cwc2-associated spliceosomal complexes purified from prp45(1-169) cells showed decreased stoichiometry of Prp22, suggesting its deranged interaction with the spliceosome. In vivo splicing assays in prp45(1-169) cells revealed that branch point mutants accumulated more pre-mRNA whereas 5' and 3' splice site mutants showed elevated levels of lariat-exon intermediate as compared to wild-type cells. Splicing of canonical intron was unimpeded. Notably, the expression of Prp45(119-379) in prp45(1-169) cells restored Prp22 partition in the Cwc2-pulldowns and rescued temperature sensitivity and splicing phenotype of prp45(1-169) strain. Our data suggest that Prp45 contributes, in part through its interaction with the 2nd step-proofreading helicase Prp22, to splicing efficiency of substrates non-conforming to the consensus.
2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.