In vitro assembly of yeast U6 snRNP: a functional assay.

U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) is the most highly conserved spliceosomal RNA, and it has been postulated to have a fundamental role in pre-mRNA splicing. To elucidate this role, we developed an in vitro system for reconstituting the functional U6 small ribonucleoprotein (snRNP). Treating splicing extracts with an oligonucleotide complementary to the central domain of U6 snRNA leads to both RNase H cleavage of the endogenous U6 snRNA and loss of splicing activity. Yeast U6 RNA, synthesized in vitro using T7 RNA polymerase, is then added to the oligonucleotide-treated extract, and restoration of splicing activity is monitored by the subsequent addition of substrate pre-mRNA. Addition of full-length, unmodified T7U6 snRNA (113 nucleotides) to oligonucleotide-treated extracts restores splicing activity efficiently. Using U6 RNA transcripts truncated at their 3' ends, we show that large deletions (39 nucleotides) produce molecules that are unable to restore splicing activity in vitro and cannot interact with the endogenous U4 snRNA or form a mature spliceosome. Finally, we show that substitution of the invariant G81 with C within the T7U6 RNA abolishes its ability of restoring splicing activity. Although the U4/U6 snRNP forms correctly, mature spliceosomes do not assemble.