Molecular genetic analysis of the heterodimeric splicing factor U2AF: the RS domain on either the large or small Drosophilasubunit is dispensable in vivo

Abstract

The pre-mRNA splicing factor U2AF (U2 snRNP auxiliary factor) has an essential role in 3′ splice site selection. U2AF binds the intron pyrimidine tract between the branchpoint and the 3′ splice site and recruits U2 snRNP to the branch site at an early step in spliceosome assembly. Human U2AF is a heterodimer composed of large (hU2AF⁶⁵) and small (hU2AF³⁵) subunits. Both subunits contain a domain enriched in arginine–serine dipeptide repeats termed an RS domain. The two U2AF RS domains have been assigned essential and independent roles in spliceosome assembly in vitro—the hU2AF⁶⁵ RS domain is required to target U2 snRNP to the branch site and the hU2AF³⁵ RS domain is necessary for protein–protein interactions with constitutive and alternative splicing factors. We have investigated the functional requirements for the RS domains on the Drosophila U2AF homolog in vivo. In sharp contrast to its essential role in U2 snRNP recruitment in vitro, the RS domain on the Drosophila large subunit homolog (dU2AF⁵⁰) was completely dispensable in vivo. Prompted by this unexpected result, we analyzed the RS domain on theDrosophila small subunit homolog (dU2AF³⁸). Despite its requirement for enhancer-dependent splicing activity in vitro, the dU2AF³⁸ RS domain was also inessential in vivo. Finally, we have tested whether the Drosophila U2AF heterodimer requires any RS domain. Flies mutant for both the small and large subunits could not be rescued by dU2AF⁵⁰ΔRS anddU2AF³⁸ΔRS transgenes. Therefore, in contrast to the separate roles assigned to the U2AF RS domains in vitro, our genetic data suggest that they may have redundant functions in vivo.

Keywords

• Fruitfly
• pre-mRNA splicing
• RNA-binding proteins
• RS domains
• SR proteins