Abstract
Gemin3 is a DEAD-box RNA helicase that binds to the Survival of Motor Neurons (SMN) protein and is a component of the SMN complex, which also comprises SMN, Gemin2, Gemin4, Gemin5, and Gemin6. Reduction in SMN protein results in Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a common neurodegenerative disease. The SMN complex has critical functions in the assembly/restructuring of diverse ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. Here we report that Gemin3 and Gemin4 are also in a separate complex that contains eIF2C2, a member of the Argonaute protein family. This novel complex is a large approximately 15S RNP that contains numerous microRNAs (miRNAs). We describe 40 miRNAs, a few of which are identical to recently described human miRNAs, a class of small endogenous RNAs. The genomic sequences predict that miRNAs are likely to be derived from larger precursors that have the capacity to form stem-loop structures.
Publication types
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
- Animals
- Argonaute Proteins
- Blotting, Western
- Centrifugation, Density Gradient
- Cloning, Molecular
- DEAD Box Protein 20
- DEAD-box RNA Helicases
- Eukaryotic Initiation Factors*
- HeLa Cells
- Humans
- Mice
- MicroRNAs
- Minor Histocompatibility Antigens
- Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
- Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
- Nucleic Acid Conformation
- Peptide Initiation Factors / metabolism
- Plasmids / metabolism
- Precipitin Tests
- Protein Binding
- Protein Structure, Tertiary
- RNA Helicases / metabolism
- RNA, Antisense / chemistry*
- RNA, Antisense / classification
- RNA, Messenger / metabolism
- RNA, Untranslated / chemistry*
- RNA, Untranslated / classification
- RNA-Binding Proteins
- Ribonucleoproteins / chemistry*
- Ribonucleoproteins / metabolism*
- Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear
- SMN Complex Proteins
Substances
- AGO1 protein, human
- Argonaute Proteins
- Eukaryotic Initiation Factors
- GEMIN2 protein, human
- GEMIN4 protein, human
- GEMIN5 protein, human
- GEMIN6 protein, human
- Gemin5 protein, mouse
- Gemin6 protein, mouse
- MicroRNAs
- Minor Histocompatibility Antigens
- Nerve Tissue Proteins
- Nuclear Proteins
- Peptide Initiation Factors
- RNA, Antisense
- RNA, Messenger
- RNA, Untranslated
- RNA-Binding Proteins
- Ribonucleoproteins
- Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear
- SMN Complex Proteins
- Sip1 protein, mouse
- DDX20 protein, human
- DEAD Box Protein 20
- Ddx20 protein, mouse
- DEAD-box RNA Helicases
- RNA Helicases