Evolutionarily conserved polyadenosine RNA binding protein Nab2 cooperates with splicing machinery to regulate the fate of pre-mRNA

Sharon Soucek, Yi Zeng, Deepti L. Bellur, Megan Bergkessel, Kevin J. Morris, Qiudong Deng, Duc Duong, Nicholas T. Seyfried, Christine Guthrie, Jonathan P. Staley, Milo B. Fasken (Lead / Corresponding author), Anita H. Corbett (Lead / Corresponding author)

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Numerous RNA binding proteins are deposited onto an mRNA transcript to modulate posttranscriptional processing events ensuring proper mRNA maturation. Defining the interplay between RNA binding proteins that couple mRNA biogenesis events is crucial for understanding how gene expression is regulated. To explore how RNA binding proteins control mRNA processing, we investigated a role for the evolutionarily conserved polyadenosine RNA binding protein, Nab2, in mRNA maturation within the nucleus. This study reveals that nab2 mutant cells accumulate intron-containing pre-mRNA in vivo. We extend this analysis to identify genetic interactions between mutant alleles of nab2 and genes encoding a splicing factor, MUD2, and RNA exosome, RRP6, with in vivo consequences of altered pre-mRNA splicing and poly(A) tail length control. As further evidence linking Nab2 proteins to splicing, an unbiased proteomic analysis of vertebrate Nab2, ZC3H14, identifies physical interactions with numerous components of the spliceosome. We validated the interaction between ZC3H14 and U2AF2/U2AF65. Taking all the findings into consideration, we present a model where Nab2/ZC3H14 interacts with spliceosome components to allow proper coupling of splicing with subsequent mRNA processing steps contributing to a kinetic proofreading step that allows properly processed mRNA to exit the nucleus and escape Rrp6-dependent degradation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2697-2714
Number of pages18
JournalMolecular and Cellular Biology
Volume36
Issue number21
Early online date13 Oct 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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