Biological Role
The U4 snRNA has been shown to exist in a number of different formats including: bound to proteins as a small nuclear Ribo-Nuclear Protein snRNP, involved with the U6 snRNA in the di-snRNP, as well as involved with both the U6 snRNA and the U5 snRNA in the tri-snRNP. The different formats have been proposed to coincide with different temporal events in the activity of the penta-snRNP, or as intermediates in the step-wise model of spliceosome assembly and activity.
The U4 snRNA (and its likely analog snR14 in Yeast) has been shown not to participate directly in the specific catalytic activities of the splicing reaction, and is proposed instead to act as a regulator of the U6 snRNA. The U4 snRNA inhibits spliceosome activity during assembly by complementary base pairing between the U6 snRNA in two highly conserved stem regions. It is suggested that this base-pairing interaction prevents the U6 snRNA from assembling with the U2 snRNA into the conformation required for catalytic activity. If the U4 snRNA is degraded and thereby removed from the spliceosome, splicing is effectively halted. The U4 and U6 snRNAs are demonstratively required for splicing in vitro.
Read more about this topic: U4 Spliceosomal RNA
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