MRNA SPLICING FACTOR BRR2

前信使核糖核酸剪接。去除非编码序列(内含子)的过程 从基因的转录本来看，对高等生物的生存是必不可少的 真核生物。剪接过程涉及数百种蛋白质和 多个RNA物种必须以精确的顺序聚集在一起 正确的时间，以便去除内含子，而不是其他。这个 过程中发生的多次重排和构象变化 剪接被认为是由RNA等介导的 解旋酶，一类解开RNA特定区域的蛋白质。这个 这项提议的目标是研究特定剪接的作用 Brr2因子，在剪接过程和重排中 在拼接过程中发生。Brr2的一个突变阻止了Pre-Pre的第一步 MRNA剪接，序列相似性表明它是一种RNA 解旋酶。此外，有证据表明，它直接与 U2单链RNP。这意味着后者可能是它的底物。这个 这里提出的实验将确定Brr2的底物。寻找 它的调节器，并定义了假定的dsRNA结合的功能 Brr2中的域。这项工作将扩大我们对生物化学的理解 这类至关重要的蛋白质，为未来 解旋酶的结构研究。

Pre-mRNA splicing. The process of removing non-coding sequences (introns) from the transcripts of genes, is essential for viability in higher Eukaryotes. The splicing process involves hundreds of proteins and multiple RNA species which must come together in a precise sequence at the correct times, in order to remove the introns and nothing else. The multiple rearrangements and conformational changes that occur during splicing are hypothesized to be mediated by, among other things, RNA helicases, a class of proteins that unwind specific regions of RNA. The goal of this proposal is to investigate the role of a specific splicing factor, Brr2, in the splicing process and in the rearrangements that occur during splicing. One mutation in Brr2 blocks the first step in pre- mRNA splicing, and sequence similarity suggests that it is an RNA helicase. Furthermore, there is evidence that it interacts directly with the U2 snRNP. Implying that the latter may be its substrate. The experiments proposed here will identify the substrate of Brr2. look for its regulators, and define the function of a putative dsRNA-binding domain in Brr2. This work will extend our biochemical understanding of this crucial class of proteins and provide a foundation for future structural studies of helicases.