Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a recessive neurogenetic disorder, caused by mutation of the human survival of motor neurons 1 (SMN1) gene. Patients with SMA typically die early in childhood. SMN protein is part of a large, oligomeric complex that plays an essential role in small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) assembly. These small RNPs are required for pre-messenger RNA splicing, a process central to all eukaryotic cells. Small RNP biogenesis is compromised in patient cells, although the underlying cause of the SMA phenotype is not yet known. Thus learning more about SMN's role in the metabolism of snRNPs is essential not only to the study of RNA processing, but is important for our understanding of this devastating neuromuscular disease. Small RNP biogenesis is a stepwise process, taking place in multiple subcellular compartments. In mammalian cells, the SMN complex localizes to the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Whereas SMN is diffusely distributed throughout the cytosol, the nuclear fraction of the protein accumulates in Cajal bodies, colocalizing with an SMN-interacting protein called coilin. Cajal bodies are nuclear suborganelles involved in the maturation of snRNPs. The long-term goal of this proposal is to understand the molecular mechanisms that govern the biogenesis and subcellular localization of snRNPs. In other words, we seek to know how snRNPs are packaged, transported and delivered to their sites of action in the nucleus. In order to gain further insight into the biogenesis of snRNPs and its role in the pathogenesis of SMA, we have developed transgenic mouse and cell culture model systems to study SMN and Cajal bodies.
Specific Aims of this proposal are: (1) to determine the function of the SMN complex in the import of small nuclear RNPs, (2) to identify factors required for SMN and snRNP assembly and import, and (3) to characterize the role of the SMN-coilin interaction at the organismal level. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01NS041617-05
Application #
6917639
Study Section
Cell Development and Function Integrated Review Group (CDF)
Program Officer
Gwinn, Katrina
Project Start
2001-05-01
Project End
2010-04-30
Budget Start
2005-05-01
Budget End
2006-04-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$353,813
Indirect Cost
Name
Case Western Reserve University
Department
Genetics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
077758407
City
Cleveland
State
OH
Country
United States
Zip Code
44106
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Praveen, Kavita; Wen, Ying; Gray, Kelsey M et al. (2014) SMA-causing missense mutations in survival motor neuron (Smn) display a wide range of phenotypes when modeled in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 10:e1004489
Garcia, Eric L; Lu, Zhipeng; Meers, Michael P et al. (2013) Developmental arrest of Drosophila survival motor neuron (Smn) mutants accounts for differences in expression of minor intron-containing genes. RNA 19:1510-6
Praveen, Kavita; Wen, Ying; Matera, A Gregory (2012) A Drosophila model of spinal muscular atrophy uncouples snRNP biogenesis functions of survival motor neuron from locomotion and viability defects. Cell Rep 1:624-31
Gonsalvez, Graydon B; Rajendra, T K; Wen, Ying et al. (2010) Sm proteins specify germ cell fate by facilitating oskar mRNA localization. Development 137:2341-51
Fuentes, Jennifer L; Strayer, Molly S; Matera, A Gregory (2010) Molecular determinants of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein cleavage by the calcium-activated protease, calpain. PLoS One 5:e15769
Walker, Michael P; Tian, Liping; Matera, A Gregory (2009) Reduced viability, fertility and fecundity in mice lacking the cajal body marker protein, coilin. PLoS One 4:e6171
Shpargel, Karl B; Praveen, Kavita; Rajendra, T K et al. (2009) Gemin3 is an essential gene required for larval motor function and pupation in Drosophila. Mol Biol Cell 20:90-101
Liu, Ji-Long; Wu, Zheng'an; Nizami, Zehra et al. (2009) Coilin is essential for Cajal body organization in Drosophila melanogaster. Mol Biol Cell 20:1661-70
Matera, A Gregory; Izaguire-Sierra, Mario; Praveen, Kavita et al. (2009) Nuclear bodies: random aggregates of sticky proteins or crucibles of macromolecular assembly? Dev Cell 17:639-47

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