University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Discrete elements of the U2 snRNP regulate its intranuclear trafficking and recruitment to nascent transcripts

Paschedag, Joshua

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Paschedag_Joshua.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/31942

Description

Title
Discrete elements of the U2 snRNP regulate its intranuclear trafficking and recruitment to nascent transcripts
Author(s)
Paschedag, Joshua
Issue Date
2012-06-27T21:20:35Z
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Bellini, Michel
Department of Study
School of Integrative Biology
Discipline
Biology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Date of Ingest
2012-06-27T21:20:35Z
Keyword(s)
  • pre-mRNA splicing
  • lampbrush chromosomes
  • transcription units
  • Cajal bodies
  • U2 snRNP
  • U2B”
  • Small nuclear ribonucleic acid (snRNA)
  • Messenger Ribonucleic acid (mRNA)
  • small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNP)
Abstract
In this study, I characterize the elements of the U2 snRNP that control its intranuclear trafficking and association with nascent transcripts. Through a mutational analysis, I demonstrate that stem loops 3 and 4 (SL3 and SL4) are both required for U2 snRNP association with nascent transcripts and splicing speckles, while the Sm binding site is sufficient for U2 snRNP association with Cajal bodies after nuclear entry. For SL4, I further show that the associated protein U2B” rather than SL4 itself provides the targeting activity, which establishes a critical new role for U2B” in the pre-mRNA splicing pathway. Additionally, I demonstrate that a lack of SL3, SL4, or U2B” results in an accumulation of the U2 snRNP within Cajal bodies. Collectively, my results support a paradigm where the recruitment of U2 snRNP to nascent transcripts is independent of its splicing activity and a model where Cajal bodies are domains that control snRNP assembly before association with nascent transcripts.
Graduation Semester
2012-05
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/31942
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2012 Joshua Paschedag

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