Cajal body-specific small nuclear RNAs: a novel class of 2′-O-methylation and pseudouridylation guide RNAs

• Published in: The EMBO journal Vol. 21; no. 11; pp. 2746 - 2756
• Main Authors: Darzacq, Xavier, Jády, Beáta E., Verheggen, Céline, Kiss, Arnold M., Bertrand, Edouard, Kiss, Tamás
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 03-06-2002; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; EMBO Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Cajal bodies; Cajal body; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Coiled Bodies - metabolism; Coiled Bodies - physiology; DNA, Complementary - metabolism; HeLa Cells; Humans; In Situ Hybridization; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Life Sciences; Methylation; Models, Genetic; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Oocytes - metabolism; Plasmids - metabolism; Precipitin Tests; Protein Binding; RNA - metabolism; RNA modification; RNA, Small Nuclear - metabolism; scaRNA; snoRNA; snRNA; spliceosomal snRNA; Spliceosomes - metabolism; Subcellular Fractions - metabolism; Transcription, Genetic; Uridine Monophosphate - metabolism; Xenopus; cajal body rna modification scarna spliceosomal snrna snorna small nucleolar rnas u6 spliceosomal rna pre-ribosomal-rna box-c/d motif coiled bodies 2'-o-ribose methylation preribosomal rna u5 snrnps u2 snrna localization
• ISSN: 0261-4189; 1460-2075; 1460-2075
• DOI: 10.1093/emboj/21.11.2746

Cajal (coiled) bodies are conserved subnuclear organelles that are present in the nucleoplasm of both animal and plant cells. Although Cajal bodies were first described nearly 100 years ago, their function has remained largely speculative. Here, we describe a novel class of human small nuclear RNAs that localize specifically to Cajal bodies. The small Cajal body‐ specific RNAs (scaRNAs) are predicted or have already been demonstrated to function as guide RNAs in site‐specific synthesis of 2′‐O‐ribose‐methylated nucleotides and pseudouridines in the RNA polymerase II‐transcribed U1, U2, U4 and U5 spliceosomal small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs). Our results provide strong support for the idea that the Cajal body, this mysterious nuclear organelle, provides the cellular locale for post‐transcriptional modification of spliceosomal snRNAs.