Crystal structure of the human nuclear cap binding complex

Mol Cell. 2001 Aug;8(2):383-96. doi: 10.1016/s1097-2765(01)00299-4.

Abstract

The heterodimeric nuclear cap binding complex (CBC) binds to 5'-capped polymerase II transcripts. It enhances the efficiency of several mRNA maturation steps and is essential for U snRNA nuclear export in multicellular eukaryotes. The 2A crystal structure of human CBC shows that the large subunit, CBP80, comprises three domains, each containing consecutive helical hairpins and resembling the so-called MIF4G domain found in several other proteins involved in RNA metabolism. The small subunit, CPB20, has an RNP fold and associates with the second and third domains of CBP80. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed 4 residues of CBP20 which are critical for cap binding. A model for cap binding is proposed based on these results and the known mode of binding of RNA to RNP domains.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Cross-Linking Reagents / chemistry
  • Cross-Linking Reagents / metabolism
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary*
  • Protein Subunits
  • RNA Cap-Binding Proteins
  • RNA Caps / chemistry
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • Cross-Linking Reagents
  • Protein Subunits
  • RNA Cap-Binding Proteins
  • RNA Caps
  • RNA-Binding Proteins

Associated data

  • PDB/1H6K