The steady state levels and structure of the U7 snRNP are constant during the human cell cycle: lack of cell cycle regulation of histone mRNA 3' end formation.

The U7 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) is an essential component of the endonucleolytic cleavage reaction which leads to the production of mature 3'-ends of histone premRNAs. We have examined the relative amount and the structure of the U7 snRNP, as assayed by sensitivity to micrococcal nuclease, during the cell cycle in human HeLa and WI-38 cells. Using an RNase A protection assay, we find no change in the steady state levels of U7 throughout the cell cycle. Similarly, the sensitivity of U7 to micrococcal nuclease remained unchanged in both cell types. Contact inhibited WI-38 cells, that are deemed to have left the cell cycle and entered a quiescent state, displayed similar levels of U7 to cells in S and G1 phases of the cell cycle, however, the U7 snRNA was slightly more resistant to micrococcal nuclease. Histone 3' end mRNA processing was also assayed in HeLa cell cycle phase-specific extracts. In marked contrast to previous observations in extracts prepared from the rodent cell line, C3H10T1/2, (Hoffmann and Birnstiel, 1990), we find that the 3' end processing reaction remained constant throughout the cell cycle.