The structure and function of small nucleolar ribonucleoproteins.

ABSTRACT: Eukaryotes and archaea use two sets of specialized ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) to carry out sequence-specific methylation and pseudouridylation of RNA, the two most abundant types of modifications of cellular RNAs. In eukaryotes, these protein-RNA complexes localize to the nucleolus and are called small nucleolar RNPs (snoRNPs), while in archaea they are known as small RNPs (sRNP). The C/D class of sno(s)RNPs carries out ribose-2'-O-methylation, while the H/ACA class is responsible for pseudouridylation of their RNA targets. Here, we review the recent advances in the structure, assembly and function of the conserved C/D and H/ACA sno(s)RNPs. Structures of each of the core archaeal sRNP proteins have been determined and their assembly pathways delineated. Furthermore, the recent structure of

SUBMITTER: Reichow SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1865073 | biostudies-literature | 2007

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature