Journal
CHEMICAL REVIEWS
Volume 118, Issue 8, Pages 4156-4176Publisher
AMER CHEMICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00499
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Funding
- NIH [5R01GM102216]
- Medical Research Council [MC_U105184330]
- European Research Council Advanced Grant [693087-SPLICE3D]
- MRC [MC_U105184330] Funding Source: UKRI
- Medical Research Council [MC_U105184330] Funding Source: researchfish
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Nuclear pre-mRNA splicing and group II intron self-splicing both proceed by two-step transesterification reactions via a lariat intron intermediate. Recently determined cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of catalytically active spliceosomes revealed the RNA-based catalytic core and showed how pre-mRNA substrates and reaction products are positioned in the active site. These findings highlight a strong structural similarity to the group II intron active site, strengthening the notion that group II introns and spliceosomes evolved from a common ancestor. Prp8, the largest and most conserved protein in the spliceosome, cradles the active site RNA. Prp8 and group II intron maturase have a similar domain architecture, suggesting that they also share a common evolutionary origin. The interactions between maturase and key group II intron RNA elements, such as the exon-binding loop and domains V and VI, are recapitulated in the interactions between Prp8 and key elements in the spliceosome's catalytic RNA core. Structural comparisons suggest that the extensive RNA scaffold of the group II intron was gradually replaced by proteins as the spliceosome evolved. A plausible model of spliceosome evolution is discussed.
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