Structural basis for recognition of intron branchpoint RNA by yeast Msl5 and selective effects of interfacial mutations on splicing of yeast pre-mRNAs

Structural insights into branch site proofreading by human spliceosome

Selection of the pre-mRNA branch site (BS) by the U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) is crucial to prespliceosome (A complex) assembly. The RNA helicase PRP5 proofreads BS selection but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we report the atomic structures of two sequential complexes leading to prespliceosome assembly: human 17S U2 snRNP and a cross-exon pre-A complex. PRP5 is anchored on 17S U2 snRNP mainly through occupation of the RNA path of SF3B1 by an acidic loop of PRP5; the helicase domain of PRP5 associates with U2 snRNA; the BS-interacting stem-loop (BSL) of U2 snRNA is shielded by TAT-SF1, unable to engage the BS. In the pre-A complex, an initial U2-BS duplex is formed; the translocated helicase domain of PRP5 stays with U2 snRNA and the acidic loop still occupies the RNA path. The pre-A conformation is specifically stabilized by the splicing factors SF1, DNAJC8 and SF3A2. Cancer-derived mutations in SF3B1 damage its association with PRP5, compromising BS proofreading. Together, these findings reveal key insights into prespliceosome assembly and BS selection or proofreading by PRP5.

Attacking a DEAD problem: The role of DEAD-box ATPases in ribosome assembly and beyond

DEAD-box proteins are a subfamily of ATPases with similarity to RecA-type helicases that are involved in all aspects of RNA Biology. Despite their potential to regulate these processes via their RNA-dependent ATPase activity, their roles remain poorly characterized. Here I describe a roadmap to study these proteins in the context of ribosome assembly, the process that utilizes more than half of all DEAD-box proteins encoded in the yeast genome.

Evidence for complex dynamics during U2 snRNP selection of the intron branchpoint

Splicing of pre-mRNA is initiated by binding of U1 to the 5′ splice site and of Msl5-Mud2 heterodimer to the branch site (BS). Subsequent binding of U2 displaces Msl5-Mud2 from the BS to form the prespliceosome, a step governing branchpoint selection and hence 3′ splice site choice, and linking splicing to myelodysplasia and many cancers in human. Two DEAD-box proteins, Prp5 and Sub2, are required for this step, but neither is stably associated with the pre-mRNA during the reaction. Using BS-mutated ACT1 pre-mRNA, we previously identified a splicing intermediate complex, FIC, which contains U2 and Prp5, but cannot bind the tri-snRNP. We show here that Msl5 remains associated with the upstream cryptic branch site (CBS) in the FIC, with U2 binding a few bases downstream of the BS. U2 mutants that restore U2-BS base pairing enable dissociation of Prp5 and allows splicing to proceed. The CBS is required for splicing rescue by compensatory U2 mutants, and for formation of FIC, demonstrating a role for Msl5 in directing U2 to the BS, and of U2-BS base pairing for release of Prp5 and Msl5-Mud2 to form the prespliceosome. Our results provide insights into how the prespliceosome may form in normal splicing reaction.

Structural insights into how Prp5 proofreads the pre-mRNA branch site

During the splicing of introns from precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs), the U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) must undergo stable integration into the spliceosomal A complex-a poorly understood, multistep process that is facilitated by the DEAD-box helicase Prp5 (refs. 1-4). During this process, the U2 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) forms an RNA duplex with the pre-mRNA branch site (the U2-BS helix), which is proofread by Prp5 at this stage through an unclear mechanism5. Here, by deleting the branch-site adenosine (BS-A) or mutating the branch-site sequence of an actin pre-mRNA, we stall the assembly of spliceosomes in extracts from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae directly before the A complex is formed. We then determine the three-dimensional structure of this newly identified assembly intermediate by cryo-electron microscopy. Our structure indicates that the U2-BS helix has formed in this pre-A complex, but is not yet clamped by the HEAT domain of the Hsh155 protein (Hsh155HEAT), which exhibits an open conformation. The structure further reveals a large-scale remodelling/repositioning of the U1 and U2 snRNPs during the formation of the A complex that is required to allow subsequent binding of the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP, but that this repositioning is blocked in the pre-A complex by the presence of Prp5. Our data suggest that binding of Hsh155HEAT to the bulged BS-A of the U2-BS helix triggers closure of Hsh155HEAT, which in turn destabilizes Prp5 binding. Thus, Prp5 proofreads the branch site indirectly, hindering spliceosome assembly if branch-site mutations prevent the remodelling of Hsh155HEAT. Our data provide structural insights into how a spliceosomal helicase enhances the fidelity of pre-mRNA splicing.

Genome-wide evolution of wobble base-pairing nucleotides of branchpoint motifs with increasing organismal complexity

How have the branchpoint motifs evolved in organisms of different complexity? Here we identified and examined the consensus motifs (R₁C₂T₃R₄A₅Y₆, R: A or G, Y: C or T) of 898 fungal genomes. In Ascomycota unicellular yeasts, the G₄/A₄ ratio is mostly (98%) below 0.125 but increases sharply in multicellular species by about 40 times on average, and in the more complex Basidiomycota, it increases further by about 7 times. The global G₄ increase is consistent with A₄ to G₄ transitions in evolution. Of the G₄/A₄-interacting amino acids of the branchpoint binding protein MSL5 (SF1) and the HSH155 (SF3B1), as well as the 5' splice sites (SS) and U2 snRNA genes, the 5' SS G³/A³ co-vary with the G₄ to some extent. However, corresponding increase of the G₄-complementary GCAGTA-U2 gene is rare, suggesting wobble-base pairing between the G₄-containing branchpoint motif and GTAGTA-U2 in most of these species. Interestingly, the G₄/A₄ ratio correlates well with the abundance of alternative splicing in the two phyla, and G₄ enriched significantly at the alternative 3' SS of genes in RNA metabolism, kinases and membrane proteins. Similar wobble nucleotides also enriched at the 3' SS of multicellular fungi with only thousands of protein-coding genes. Thus, branchpoint motifs have evolved U2-complementarity in unicellular Ascomycota yeasts, but have gradually gained more wobble base-pairing nucleotides in fungi of higher complexity, likely to destabilize branchpoint motif-U2 interaction and/or branchpoint A protrusion for alternative splicing. This implies an important role of relaxing the branchpoint signals in the multicellularity and further complexity of fungi.

A unified mechanism for intron and exon definition and back-splicing

The molecular mechanisms of exon definition and back-splicing are fundamental unanswered questions in pre-mRNA splicing. Here we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of the yeast spliceosomal E complex assembled on introns, providing a view of the earliest event in the splicing cycle that commits pre-mRNAs to splicing. The E complex architecture suggests that the same spliceosome can assemble across an exon, and that it either remodels to span an intron for canonical linear splicing (typically on short exons) or catalyses back-splicing to generate circular RNA (on long exons). The model is supported by our experiments, which show that an E complex assembled on the middle exon of yeast EFM5 or HMRA1 can be chased into circular RNA when the exon is sufficiently long. This simple model unifies intron definition, exon definition, and back-splicing through the same spliceosome in all eukaryotes and should inspire experiments in many other systems to understand the mechanism and regulation of these processes.

Cus2 enforces the first ATP-dependent step of splicing by binding to yeast SF3b1 through a UHM-ULM interaction

Stable recognition of the intron branchpoint (BP) by the U2 snRNP to form the pre-spliceosome is the first ATP-dependent step of splicing. Genetic and biochemical data from yeast indicate that Cus2 aids U2 snRNA folding into the stem IIa conformation prior to pre-spliceosome formation. Cus2 must then be removed by an ATP-dependent function of Prp5 before assembly can progress. However, the location from which Cus2 is displaced and the nature of its binding to the U2 snRNP are unknown. Here, we show that Cus2 contains a conserved UHM (U2AF homology motif) that binds Hsh155, the yeast homolog of human SF3b1, through a conserved ULM (U2AF ligand motif). Mutations in either motif block binding and allow pre-spliceosome formation without ATP. A 2.0 Å resolution structure of the Hsh155 ULM in complex with the UHM of Tat-SF1, the human homolog of Cus2, and complementary binding assays show that the interaction is highly similar between yeast and humans. Furthermore, we show that Tat-SF1 can replace Cus2 function by enforcing ATP dependence of pre-spliceosome formation in yeast extracts. Cus2 is removed before pre-spliceosome formation, and both Cus2 and its Hsh155 ULM binding site are absent from available cryo-EM structure models. However, our data are consistent with the apparent location of the disordered Hsh155 ULM between the U2 stem-loop IIa and the HEAT repeats of Hsh155 that interact with Prp5. We propose a model in which Prp5 uses ATP to remove Cus2 from Hsh155 such that extended base-pairing between U2 snRNA and the intron BP can occur.

Domain Requirements and Genetic Interactions of the Mud1 Subunit of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae U1 snRNP

Mud1 is an inessential 298-amino acid protein subunit of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae U1 snRNP. Mud1 consists of N-terminal and C-terminal RRM domains (RRM1 and RRM2) separated by a linker domain. Synthetic lethal interactions of mud1∆ with deletions of inessential spliceosome components Nam8, Mud2, and Msl1, or missense mutations in the branchpoint-binding protein Msl5 enabled us to dissect genetically the domain requirements for Mud1 function. We find that the biological activities of Mud1 can be complemented by co-expressing separately the RRM1 (aa 1-127) and linker-RRM2 (aa 128-298) modules. Whereas RRM1 and RRM2 (aa 197-298) per se are inactive in all tests of functional complementation, the linker-RRM2 by itself partially complements a subset of synthetic lethal mud1∆ interactions. Linker segment aa 155 to 196 contains a nuclear localization signal rich in basic amino acids that is necessary for RRM2 activity in mud1∆ complementation. Alanine scanning mutagenesis indicates that none of the individual RRM1 amino acid contacts to U1 snRNA in the cryo-EM model of the yeast U1 snRNP is necessary for mud1∆ complementation activity.

Defining essential elements and genetic interactions of the yeast Lsm2-8 ring and demonstration that essentiality of Lsm2-8 is bypassed via overexpression of U6 snRNA or the U6 snRNP subunit Prp24

A seven-subunit Lsm2-8 protein ring assembles on the U-rich 3' end of the U6 snRNA. A structure-guided mutational analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Lsm2-8 ring affords new insights to structure-function relations and genetic interactions of the Lsm subunits. Alanine scanning of 39 amino acids comprising the RNA-binding sites or intersubunit interfaces of Lsm2, Lsm3, Lsm4, Lsm5, and Lsm8 identified only one instance of lethality (Lsm3-R69A) and one severe growth defect (Lsm2-R63A), both involving amino acids that bind the 3'-terminal UUU trinucleotide. All other Ala mutations were benign with respect to vegetative growth. Tests of 235 pairwise combinations of benign Lsm mutants identified six instances of inter-Lsm synthetic lethality and 45 cases of nonlethal synthetic growth defects. Thus, Lsm2-8 ring function is buffered by a network of internal genetic redundancies. A salient finding was that otherwise lethal single-gene deletions lsm2Δ, lsm3Δ, lsm4Δ, lsm5, and lsm8Δ were rescued by overexpression of U6 snRNA from a high-copy plasmid. Moreover, U6 overexpression rescued myriad lsmΔ lsmΔ double-deletions and lsmΔ lsmΔ lsmΔ triple-deletions. We find that U6 overexpression also rescues a lethal deletion of the U6 snRNP protein subunit Prp24 and that Prp24 overexpression bypasses the essentiality of the U6-associated Lsm subunits. Our results indicate that abetting U6 snRNA is the only essential function of the yeast Lsm2-8 proteins.

Understanding pre-mRNA splicing through crystallography

Crystallography is a powerful tool to determine the atomic structures of proteins and RNAs. X-ray crystallography has been used to determine the structure of many splicing related proteins and RNAs, making major contributions to our understanding of the molecular mechanism and regulation of pre-mRNA splicing. Compared to other structural methods, crystallography has its own advantage in the high-resolution structural information it can provide and the unique biological questions it can answer. In addition, two new crystallographic methods - the serial femtosecond crystallography and 3D electron crystallography - were developed to overcome some of the limitations of traditional X-ray crystallography and broaden the range of biological problems that crystallography can solve. This review discusses the theoretical basis, instrument requirements, troubleshooting, and exciting potential of these crystallographic methods to further our understanding of pre-mRNA splicing, a critical event in gene expression of all eukaryotes.

RRM domain of Arabidopsis splicing factor SF1 is important for pre-mRNA splicing of a specific set of genes

The RNA recognition motif of Arabidopsis splicing factor SF1 affects the alternative splicing of FLOWERING LOCUS M pre-mRNA and a heat shock transcription factor HsfA2 pre-mRNA. Splicing factor 1 (SF1) plays a crucial role in 3' splice site recognition by binding directly to the intron branch point. Although plant SF1 proteins possess an RNA recognition motif (RRM) domain that is absent in its fungal and metazoan counterparts, the role of the RRM domain in SF1 function has not been characterized. Here, we show that the RRM domain differentially affects the full function of the Arabidopsis thaliana AtSF1 protein under different experimental conditions. For example, the deletion of RRM domain influences AtSF1-mediated control of flowering time, but not the abscisic acid sensitivity response during seed germination. The alternative splicing of FLOWERING LOCUS M (FLM) pre-mRNA is involved in flowering time control. We found that the RRM domain of AtSF1 protein alters the production of alternatively spliced FLM-β transcripts. We also found that the RRM domain affects the alternative splicing of a heat shock transcription factor HsfA2 pre-mRNA, thereby mediating the heat stress response. Taken together, our results suggest the importance of RRM domain for AtSF1-mediated alternative splicing of a subset of genes involved in the regulation of flowering and adaptation to heat stress.

SF1 Phosphorylation Enhances Specific Binding to U2AF65 and Reduces Binding to 3'-Splice-Site RNA

Splicing factor 1 (SF1) recognizes 3' splice sites of the major class of introns as a ternary complex with U2AF⁶⁵ and U2AF³⁵ splicing factors. A conserved SPSP motif in a coiled-coil domain of SF1 is highly phosphorylated in proliferating human cells and is required for cell proliferation. The UHM kinase 1 (UHMK1), also called KIS, double-phosphorylates both serines of this SF1 motif. Here, we use isothermal titration calorimetry to demonstrate that UHMK1 phosphorylation of the SF1 SPSP motif slightly enhances specific binding of phospho-SF1 to its cognate U2AF⁶⁵ protein partner. Conversely, quantitative fluorescence anisotropy RNA binding assays and isothermal titration calorimetry experiments establish that double-SPSP phosphorylation reduces phospho-SF1 and phospho-SF1-U2AF⁶⁵ binding affinities for either optimal or suboptimal splice-site RNAs. Domain-substitution and mutagenesis experiments further demonstrate that arginines surrounding the phosphorylated SF1 loop are required for cooperative 3' splice site recognition by the SF1-U2AF⁶⁵ complex (where cooperativity is defined as a nonadditive increase in RNA binding by the protein complex relative to the individual proteins). In the context of local, intracellular concentrations, the subtle effects of SF1 phosphorylation on its associations with U2AF⁶⁵ and splice-site RNAs are likely to influence pre-mRNA splicing. However, considering roles for SF1 in pre-mRNA retention and transcriptional repression, as well as in splicing, future comprehensive investigations are needed to fully explain the requirement for SF1 SPSP phosphorylation in proliferating human cells.

Lights, camera, action! Capturing the spliceosome and pre-mRNA splicing with single-molecule fluorescence microscopy

The process of removing intronic sequences from a precursor to messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) to yield a mature mRNA transcript via splicing is an integral step in eukaryotic gene expression. Splicing is carried out by a cellular nanomachine called the spliceosome that is composed of RNA components and dozens of proteins. Despite decades of study, many fundamentals of spliceosome function have remained elusive. Recent developments in single-molecule fluorescence microscopy have afforded new tools to better probe the spliceosome and the complex, dynamic process of splicing by direct observation of single molecules. These cutting-edge technologies enable investigators to monitor the dynamics of specific splicing components, whole spliceosomes, and even cotranscriptional splicing within living cells. WIREs RNA 2016, 7:683-701. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1358 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

Structure-function analysis and genetic interactions of the Luc7 subunit of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae U1 snRNP

Luc7 is an essential 261-amino acid protein subunit of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae U1 snRNP. To establish structure-function relations for yeast Luc7, we conducted an in vivo mutational analysis entailing N- and C-terminal truncations and alanine scanning of phylogenetically conserved amino acids, including two putative zinc finger motifs, ZnF1 and ZnF2, and charged amino acids within the ZnF2 module. We identify Luc7-(31-246) as a minimal functional protein and demonstrate that whereas mutations of the CCHH ZnF2 motif are lethal, mutations of the ZnF1 CCCH motif and the charged residues of the ZnF2 modules are not. Though dispensable for vegetative growth in an otherwise wild-type background, the N-terminal 18-amino acid segment of Luc7 plays an important role in U1 snRNP function, evinced by our findings that its deletion (i) impaired the splicing of SUS1 pre-mRNA; (ii) was synthetically lethal absent other U1 snRNP constituents (Mud1, Nam8, the TMG cap, the C terminus of Snp1), absent the Mud2 subunit of the Msl5•Mud2 branchpoint binding complex, and when the m(7)G cap-binding site of Cbc2 was debilitated; and (iii) bypassed the need for the essential DEAD-box ATPase Prp28. Similar phenotypes were noted for ZnF1 mutations C45A, C53A, and C68A and ZnF2 domain mutations D214A, R215A, R216A, and D219A These findings highlight the contributions of the Luc7 N-terminal peptide, the ZnF1 motif, and the ZnF2 module in stabilizing the interactions of the U1 snRNP with the pre-mRNA 5' splice site and promoting the splicing of a yeast pre-mRNA, SUS1, that has a nonconsensus 5' splice site.

Structure-function analysis and genetic interactions of the SmG, SmE, and SmF subunits of the yeast Sm protein ring

A seven-subunit Sm protein ring forms a core scaffold of the U1, U2, U4, and U5 snRNPs that direct pre-mRNA splicing. Using human snRNP structures to guide mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we gained new insights into structure-function relationships of the SmG, SmE, and SmF subunits. An alanine scan of 19 conserved amino acids of these three proteins, comprising the Sm RNA binding sites or inter-subunit interfaces, revealed that, with the exception of Arg74 in SmF, none are essential for yeast growth. Yet, for SmG, SmE, and SmF, as for many components of the yeast spliceosome, the effects of perturbing protein-RNA and protein-protein interactions are masked by built-in functional redundancies of the splicing machine. For example, tests for genetic interactions with non-Sm splicing factors showed that many benign mutations of SmG, SmE, and SmF (and of SmB and SmD3) were synthetically lethal with null alleles of U2 snRNP subunits Lea1 and Msl1. Tests of pairwise combinations of SmG, SmE, SmF, SmB, and SmD3 alleles highlighted the inherent redundancies within the Sm ring, whereby simultaneous mutations of the RNA binding sites of any two of the Sm subunits are lethal. Our results suggest that six intact RNA binding sites in the Sm ring suffice for function but five sites may not.

Mammalian splicing factor SF1 interacts with SURP domains of U2 snRNP-associated proteins

Splicing factor 1 (SF1) recognizes the branch point sequence (BPS) at the 3′ splice site during the formation of early complex E, thereby pre-bulging the BPS adenosine, thought to facilitate subsequent base-pairing of the U2 snRNA with the BPS. The 65-kDa subunit of U2 snRNP auxiliary factor (U2AF65) interacts with SF1 and was shown to recruit the U2 snRNP to the spliceosome. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments of SF1-interacting proteins from HeLa cell extracts shown here are consistent with the presence of SF1 in early splicing complexes. Surprisingly almost all U2 snRNP proteins were found associated with SF1. Yeast two-hybrid screens identified two SURP domain-containing U2 snRNP proteins as partners of SF1. A short, evolutionarily conserved region of SF1 interacts with the SURP domains, stressing their role in protein–protein interactions. A reduction of A complex formation in SF1-depleted extracts could be rescued with recombinant SF1 containing the SURP-interaction domain, but only partial rescue was observed with SF1 lacking this sequence. Thus, SF1 can initially recruit the U2 snRNP to the spliceosome during E complex formation, whereas U2AF65 may stabilize the association of the U2 snRNP with the spliceosome at later times. In addition, these findings may have implications for alternative splicing decisions.

SR protein kinases promote splicing of nonconsensus introns

Phosphorylation of the spliceosome is essential for RNA splicing, yet how and to what extent kinase signaling affects splicing have not been defined on a genome-wide basis. Using a chemical genetic approach, we show in Schizosaccharomyces pombe that the SR protein kinase Dsk1 is required for efficient splicing of introns with suboptimal splice sites. Systematic substrate mapping in fission yeast and human cells revealed that SRPKs target evolutionarily conserved spliceosomal proteins, including the branchpoint-binding protein Bpb1 (SF1 in humans), by using an RXXSP consensus motif for substrate recognition. Phosphorylation of SF1 increases SF1 binding to introns with nonconsensus splice sites in vitro, and mutation of such sites to consensus relieves the requirement for Dsk1 and phosphorylated Bpb1 in vivo. Modulation of splicing efficiency through kinase signaling pathways may allow tuning of gene expression in response to environmental and developmental cues.

Structure-function analysis and genetic interactions of the Yhc1, SmD3, SmB, and Snp1 subunits of yeast U1 snRNP and genetic interactions of SmD3 with U2 snRNP subunit Lea1

Yhc1 and U1-C are essential subunits of the yeast and human U1 snRNP, respectively, that stabilize the duplex formed by U1 snRNA at the pre-mRNA 5' splice site (5'SS). Mutational analysis of Yhc1, guided by the human U1 snRNP crystal structure, highlighted the importance of Val20 and Ser19 at the RNA interface. Though benign on its own, V20A was lethal in the absence of branchpoint-binding complex subunit Mud2 and caused a severe growth defect in the absence of U1 subunit Nam8. S19A caused a severe defect with mud2▵. Essential DEAD-box ATPase Prp28 was bypassed by mutations of Yhc1 Val20 and Ser19, consistent with destabilization of U1•5'SS interaction. We extended the genetic analysis to SmD3, which interacts with U1-C/Yhc1 in U1 snRNP, and to SmB, its neighbor in the Sm ring. Whereas mutations of the interface of SmD3, SmB, and U1-C/Yhc1 with U1-70K/Snp1, or deletion of the interacting Snp1 N-terminal peptide, had no growth effect, they elicited synthetic defects in the absence of U1 subunit Mud1. Mutagenesis of the RNA-binding triad of SmD3 (Ser-Asn-Arg) and SmB (His-Asn-Arg) provided insights to built-in redundancies of the Sm ring, whereby no individual side-chain was essential, but simultaneous mutations of Asn or Arg residues in SmD3 and SmB were lethal. Asn-to-Ala mutations SmB and SmD3 caused synthetic defects in the absence of Mud1 or Mud2. All three RNA site mutations of SmD3 were lethal in cells lacking the U2 snRNP subunit Lea1. Benign C-terminal truncations of SmD3 were dead in the absence of Mud2 or Lea1 and barely viable in the absence of Nam8 or Mud1. In contrast, SMD3-E35A uniquely suppressed the temperature-sensitivity of lea1▵.