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PMID: 11532962 Published · ppublish English Journal Article

The exon-exon junction complex provides a binding platform for factors involved in mRNA export and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay.

The EMBO journal ·Vol. 20 ·No. 17 ·2001-09-03 ·Pages 4987-97

Le Hir H, Gatfield D, Izaurralde E, Moore MJ

Abstract

We recently reported that spliceosomes alter messenger ribonucleoprotein particle (mRNP) composition by depositing several proteins 20-24 nucleotides upstream of mRNA exon-exon junctions. When assembled in vitro, this so-called 'exon-exon junction complex' (EJC) contains at least five proteins: SRm160, DEK, RNPS1, Y14 and REF. To better investigate its functional attributes, we now describe a method for generating spliced mRNAs both in vitro and in vivo that either do or do not carry the EJC. Analysis of these mRNAs in Xenopus laevis oocytes revealed that this complex is the species responsible for enhancing nucleocytoplasmic export of spliced mRNAs. It does so by providing a strong binding site for the mRNA export factors REF and TAP/p15. Moreover, by serving as an anchoring point for the factors Upf2 and Upf3, the EJC provides a direct link between splicing and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. Finally, we show that the composition of the EJC is dynamic in vivo and is subject to significant evolution upon mRNA export to the cytoplasm.

MeSH Terms
Animals Antigens, Nuclear Binding Sites Cloning, Molecular DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism Escherichia coli Exons Humans In Vitro Techniques Models, Genetic Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins Nuclear Proteins/metabolism Oocytes/physiology RNA Precursors/metabolism RNA Splicing RNA, Messenger/genetics,metabolism RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism Recombinant Proteins/metabolism Ribonucleoproteins Xenopus laevis
Chemicals
Antigens, Nuclear DNA-Binding Proteins Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins Nuclear Proteins RBM8A protein, human RNA Precursors RNA, Messenger RNA-Binding Proteins RNPS1 protein, human Recombinant Proteins Ribonucleoproteins SRRM1 protein, human
Authors & Affiliations
4 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Le Hir H
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
Gatfield D
Izaurralde E
Moore M J
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Article Info
Journal
The EMBO journal
Abbr.
EMBO J
ISSN
0261-4189
DOI
10.1093/emboj/20.17.4987
Published
2001-09-03
Pages
4987-97
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
8208664
PMCID
PMC125616
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1093/emboj/20.17.4987 PMC Full Text View journal details
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