PUBLICATION

Coilin-dependent snRNP assembly is essential for zebrafish embryogenesis

Authors
Strzelecka, M., Trowitzsch, S., Weber, G., Lührmann, R., Oates, A.C., and Neugebauer, K.M.
ID
ZDB-PUB-100408-9
Date
2010
Source
Nature structural & molecular biology   17(4): 403-409 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Oates, Andrew
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Genes, Lethal
  • Humans
  • Nuclear Proteins/genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins/physiology*
  • Recombinant Proteins/metabolism
  • Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear/metabolism
  • Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear/physiology*
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
PubMed
20357773 Full text @ Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol.
Abstract
Spliceosomal small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), comprised of small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) in complex with snRNP-specific proteins, are essential for pre-mRNA splicing. Coilin is not a snRNP protein but concentrates snRNPs and their assembly intermediates in Cajal bodies (CBs). Here we show that depletion of coilin in zebrafish embryos leads to CB dispersal, deficits in snRNP biogenesis and expression of spliced mRNA, as well as reduced cell proliferation followed by developmental arrest. Notably, injection of purified mature human snRNPs restored mRNA expression and viability. snRNAs were necessary but not sufficient for rescue, showing that only assembled snRNPs can bypass the requirement for coilin. Thus, coilin's essential function in embryos is to promote macromolecular assembly of snRNPs, likely by concentrating snRNP components in CBs to overcome rate-limiting assembly steps.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Show all Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping