In vitro FRAP reveals the ATP-dependent nuclear mobilization of the exon junction complex protein SRm160

J Cell Biol. 2004 Mar 15;164(6):843-50. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200307002. Epub 2004 Mar 15.

Abstract

We present a new in vitro system for characterizing the binding and mobility of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-labeled nuclear proteins by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching in digitonin-permeabilized cells. This assay reveals that SRm160, a splicing coactivator and component of the exon junction complex (EJC) involved in RNA export, has an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent mobility. Endogenous SRm160, lacking the EGFP moiety, could also be released from sites at splicing speckled domains by an ATP-dependent mechanism. A second EJC protein, RNPS1, also has an ATP-dependent mobility, but SRm300, a protein that binds to SRm160 and participates with it in RNA splicing, remains immobile after ATP supplementation. This finding suggests that SRm160-containing RNA export, but not splicing, complexes have an ATP-dependent mobility. We propose that RNA export complexes have an ATP-regulated mechanism for release from binding sites at splicing speckled domains. In vitro fluorescence recovery after photobleaching is a powerful tool for identifying cofactors required for nuclear binding and mobility.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / physiology
  • Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism*
  • Antigens, Nuclear / genetics
  • Antigens, Nuclear / metabolism*
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism*
  • Exons*
  • Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching
  • HeLa Cells
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group A-B / genetics
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group A-B / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins / metabolism*
  • Permeability
  • RNA / metabolism
  • RNA Splicing
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Ribonucleoproteins / genetics
  • Ribonucleoproteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Antigens, Nuclear
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group A-B
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • RNPS1 protein, human
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Ribonucleoproteins
  • SRRM1 protein, human
  • SRRM2 protein, human
  • hnRNP A2
  • RNA
  • Adenosine Triphosphate