NKAP is a novel RS-related protein that interacts with RNA and RNA binding proteins

Nucleic Acids Res. 2014 Mar;42(5):3177-93. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkt1311. Epub 2013 Dec 17.

Abstract

NKAP is a highly conserved protein with roles in transcriptional repression, T-cell development, maturation and acquisition of functional competency and maintenance and survival of adult hematopoietic stem cells. Here we report the novel role of NKAP in splicing. With NKAP-specific antibodies we found that NKAP localizes to nuclear speckles. NKAP has an RS motif at the N-terminus followed by a highly basic domain and a DUF 926 domain at the C-terminal region. Deletion analysis showed that the basic domain is important for speckle localization. In pull-down experiments, we identified RNA-binding proteins, RNA helicases and splicing factors as interaction partners of NKAP, among them FUS/TLS. The FUS/TLS-NKAP interaction takes place through the RS domain of NKAP and the RGG1 and RGG3 domains of FUS/TLS. We analyzed the ability of NKAP to interact with RNA using in vitro splicing assays and found that NKAP bound both spliced messenger RNA (mRNA) and unspliced pre-mRNA. Genome-wide analysis using crosslinking and immunoprecipitation-seq revealed NKAP association with U1, U4 and U5 small nuclear RNA, and we also demonstrated that knockdown of NKAP led to an increase in pre-mRNA percentage. Our results reveal NKAP as nuclear speckle protein with roles in RNA splicing and processing.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Nucleus
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Nuclear Proteins / analysis
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • RNA / metabolism*
  • RNA Helicases / metabolism
  • RNA Splicing
  • RNA, Small Nuclear / metabolism
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS / metabolism
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Repressor Proteins / analysis
  • Repressor Proteins / chemistry
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • NKAP protein, mouse
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA, Small Nuclear
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • RNA
  • RNA Helicases