In eukaryotic cells like budding yeast, the transfer of information from DNA to RNA during gene expression requires many steps. How the individual processes are coordinated remains unclear. This project will study a protein, called Rat1, which is hypothesized to have a previously unrecognized role in linking early and late steps in RNA synthesis. The outcomes will provide new insights into how gene expression processes are orchestrated. Involvement of students in the research will contribute to preparation of the next generation of STEM workers.
This project will study the possible role of the yeast Rat1 protein in coordinating transcription with splicing and mRNA export. The initial reports of Rat1 implicated this protein in transcription termination and in mRNA export, but recently obtained evidence indicates that mutants deficient in Rat1 activity accumulate unspliced RNAs. This suggests a role for Rat1 in pre-mRNA splicing; if true, this could explain the previously observed effect on nucleocytoplasmic transport of RNA, as unspliced RNAs are not exported efficiently. To test this idea, two aims are proposed. The first will determine if Rat1 associates with spliceosomes. The second will use two approaches (cross-linking in vivo and splicing in vitro) to test directly for a role of Rat1 in splicing. The results would contribute to a holistic picture of a role of Rat1 in linking disparate steps in RNA-mediated gene expression.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
