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Of coiled bodies, gems, and salmon
Author(s) -
Matera A. Gregory
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of cellular biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1097-4644
pISSN - 0730-2312
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4644(19980801)70:2<181::aid-jcb4>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - snrnp , rna processing , organelle , biogenesis , biology , rna splicing , microbiology and biotechnology , function (biology) , messenger rna , histone , rna , genetics , gene
Coiled bodies (CBs) are nuclear organelles whose morphology and composition have been conserved from plants to animals. They are highly enriched in components of three different RNA processing pathways. Small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) involved in pre‐mRNA splicing, rRNA processing, and histone mRNA 3′ end maturation all take up residence in CBs. However, CB function(s) remain obscure. This review will focus on recent developments in several aspects of CB structure and function, including exciting new results on their twin organelles, called gems. In particular, the reader will be introduced to a novel hypothesis called the “salmon theory of snRNP biogenesis.” Questions arising from and experiments necessary to test this hypothesis will be discussed. J. Cell. Biochem. 70:181–192, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.