U4 spliceosomal RNA

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U4 spliceosomal RNA

Type:	Gene; snRNA; splicing;
2° structure:	Published; PubMed; Griffiths-Jones SR
Seed alignment:	Zwieb C, The uRNA database, PubMed
Avg length:	137.9 nucleotides
Avg identity:	63%

U4 small nuclear RNA (U4 snRNA) is a non-coding RNA component of the major U2-dependent spliceosome. It forms a duplex with U6, and with each splicing round, it is displaced from U6 (and the spliceosome) in an ATP-dependent manner, allowing U6 to re-fold and create the active site for splicing catalysis. A recycling process involving protein Prp24 re-anneals U4 and U6. The crystal structure of a 5′ stem-loop of U4 in complex with a binding protein has been solved [2].

[edit] References

[1] Zwieb, C (1997). "The uRNA database". Nucleic Acids Res 25: 102–103. doi:10.1093/nar/25.1.102. PMID 9016512.
[2] Vidovic, I; Nottrott S, Hartmuth K, Luhrmann R, Ficner R (2000). "Crystal structure of the spliceosomal 15.5kD protein bound to a U4 snRNA fragment". Mol Cell 6: 1331–1342. doi:10.1016/S1097-2765(00)00131-3. PMID 11163207.
[3] Raghunathan, PL; Guthrie C (1998). "A spliceosomal recycling factor that reanneals U4 and U6 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles". Science 279: 857–860. doi:10.1126/science.279.5352.857. PMID 9452384.
[4] Thomas, J; Lea K, Zucker-Aprison E, Blumenthal T (1990). "The spliceosomal snRNAs of Caenorhabditis elegans". Nucleic Acids Res 18: 2633–2642. doi:10.1093/nar/18.9.2633. PMID 2339054.