biostudies-literatureUnknown44(8)Tan JAccurate recognition of splice sites is essential for pre-messenger RNA splicing. Mammalian 5' splice sites are mainly recognized by canonical base-pairing to the 5' end of U1 small nuclear RNA, yet we described multiple noncanonical base-pairing registers by shifting base-pair positions or allowing one-nucleotide bulges. By systematic mutational and suppressor U1 analyses, we prove three registers involving asymmetric loops and show that two-nucleotide bulges but not longer can form in this context. Importantly, we established that a noncanonical uridine-pseudouridine interaction in the 5' splice site/U1 helix contributes to the recognition of certain 5' splice sites. Thermal melting experiments support the formation of noncanonical registers and uridine-pseudouridine interactions. Overall, we experimentally validated or discarded the majority of predicted noncanonical registers, to derive a list of 5' splice sites using such alternative mechanisms that is much different from the original. This study allows not only the mechanistic understanding of the recognition of a wide diversity of mammalian 5' splice sites, but also the future development of better splice-site scoring methods that reliably predict the effects of disease-causing mutations at these sequences.Nucleic acids research3908-21https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC4856993biostudies-literatureNoncanonical registers and base pairs in human 5' splice-site selection.PMC4856993Tan JChen GRoca XZhong ZLuo SHo JXfalseNoncanonical registers and base pairs in human 5' splice-site selection.Accurate recognition of splice sites is essential for pre-messenger RNA splicing. Mammalian 5' splice sites are mainly recognized by canonical base-pairing to the 5' end of U1 small nuclear RNA, yet we described multiple noncanonical base-pairing registers by shifting base-pair positions or allowing one-nucleotide bulges. By systematic mutational and suppressor U1 analyses, we prove three registers involving asymmetric loops and show that two-nucleotide bulges but not longer can form in this context. Importantly, we established that a noncanonical uridine-pseudouridine interaction in the 5' splice site/U1 helix contributes to the recognition of certain 5' splice sites. Thermal melting experiments support the formation of noncanonical registers and uridine-pseudouridine interactions. Overall, we experimentally validated or discarded the majority of predicted noncanonical registers, to derive a list of 5' splice sites using such alternative mechanisms that is much different from the original. This study allows not only the mechanistic understanding of the recognition of a wide diversity of mammalian 5' splice sites, but also the future development of better splice-site scoring methods that reliably predict the effects of disease-causing mutations at these sequences.2016-01-01T00:00:00Z2016 May2024-11-15T18:34:26.899Z2019-03-27T02:13:05ZS-EPMC48569932696973610.1093/nar/gkw163