Drosophila SNF/D25 combines the functions of the two snRNP proteins U1A and U2B'' that are encoded separately in human, potato, and yeast

The plant and vertebrate snRNP proteins U1A and U2B'' are structurally closely related, but bind to different U snRNAs. Two additional related snRNP proteins, the yeast U2B'' protein and the Drosophila SNF/D25 protein, are analyzed here. We show that the previously described yeast open reading frame YIB9w encodes yeast U2B'', as judged by the fact that the protein encoded by YIB9w binds to stem-loop IV of yeast U2 snRNA in vitro and is part of the U2 snRNP in vivo. In contrast to the human U2B'' protein, specific binding of yeast U2B'' to RNA in vitro can occur in the absence of an accessory U2A'' protein. The Drosophila SNF/D25 protein, unlike all other U1A/U2B'' proteins studied to date, is shown to be a component of both U1 and U2 snRNPs. In vitro, SNF/D25 binds to U1 snRNA on its own and to U2 snRNA in the presence of either the human U2A'' protein or of Drosophila nuclear extract. Thus, its RNA-binding properties are the sum of those exhibited by human or potato U1 A and U2B'' proteins. Implications for the role of SNF/D25 in alternative splicing, and for the evolution of the U1A/U2B'' protein family, are discussed.