Transcription and pre-mRNA processing, e.g., splicing, occur at the same place and time in the context of chromatin. A growing amount of evidence supports the hypothesis that these processes are interconnected. Prp45/SKIP is one of the factors which are believed to mediate the interconnection. The human ortholog, SKIP, is known for affecting mRNA formation on the levels of transcription initiation and elongation. Moreover, it interacts with chromatin modifiers and it is a splicing factor, too. The function of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ortholog, Prp45, has been so far connected only to pre-mRNA splicing. In this work, we characterized the role of Prp45 in splicing and elaborated the results connecting Prp45 to transcription and chromatin modifications. RNA-seq results showed that pre-mRNA is accumulated in prp45(1-169) cells. This accumulation is not caused by the reduced activity of pathways responsible for RNA degradation. The extent of the splicing inefficiency in prp45(1-169) cells did not depend on either the canonicity of the 5' splice site and branch site or the distance between the branch site and the 3' splice site. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we found that prp45(1-169) mutation causes delay in U2 snRNP recruitment to assembling spliceosome. This delay transfers to the later...

Protein Prp22 is a DEAH box RNA helicase, which plays two distinct roles in pre-mRNA splicing: it participates in second transesterification step (ATP independent function) and it releases mature mRNA from the spliceosome (ATP dependent function). Prp45p, yeast ortholog of the human transcription co-regulator SNW/SKIP, is an essential splicing factor, it is included in spliceosome throughout the splicing reaction. Mutant prp45(1-169) genetically interacts with some alleles of NTC complex and second step splicing factors, one of them is also gene PRP22. Here we present, that mutants prp22(-158T) and prp22(-327A), which are synthetically lethal with prp45(1-169), express lower amount of Prp22p due to the mutation in upstream regulation region. Mutants prp22(-158T), prp22(300PPI) and prp22(-327A) affect splicing of pre-mRNA with mutation in 5'ss with respect to sequence of the second exon. N-terminal mutants prp22(∆301) and prp22(∆350) are synthetically lethal with prp45(1-169). Synthetic lethality is possibly caused by lower efficiency of Prp22 recruitment to the spliceosomes, which is no more viable for cells.

Pre-mRNA splicing is a vital process of gene expression important for all eukaryotic organisms. For the proper function of this very complex and dynamic event the presence of few specialized RNA and many proteins that hold a variety of tasks is necessary, not only inside the splicing complex itself, but also beyond this complex. The Prp45 is one of the proteins involved in pre-mRNA splicing in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Its human homologue, SNW1/SKIP, is involved in splicing but also in other crucial cell processes. The Prp45 protein was reliably reported only to participate in the second transesterification reaction of splicing. But there are also data suggesting its possible involvement in the first transesterification reaction. This work provides further evidences linking protein Prp45 with the first splicing reaction, obtained by the research of cells carrying the mutant allele prp45(1-169). Cells carrying this allele show dropped splicing and accumulation of pre-mRNAs. This thesis therefore also investigated the possible influence of Prp45 protein on the RNA export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. But no connection between this protein and RNA transport was discovered. Keywords pre-mRNA splicing; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Prp45; Mer1; Mud2; Prp22; Rrp6; AMA1; SNW1/SKIP

Protein Prp45, the yeast ortholog of the human transcription coregulator SNW1/SKIP, has been previously associated only with the regulation of pre-mRNA splicing. However, our laboratory found that protein Prp45 genetically interacts not only with the proteins involved in pre-mRNA splicing, but also with factors important for transcription elongation and with chromatin modifying enzymes. Our data and the information about the human ortholog SNW1/SKIP suggest that Prp45 could serve as a regulator coupling splicing, transcription and chromatin state in S. cerevisiae. The main aim of this diploma thesis was to find out whether the protein Prp45, which is essential for cotranscriptional assembly of the spliceosome, affects posttranslational modifications of chromatin on transcribed genes. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, the influence of prp45(1-169) mutation on trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 and acetylation of histone H3 at lysines 9, 14 and 18 on transcriptionally active genes was not confirmed. The other aim was to analyse the behavior of cells synchronized by α-factor by using flow cytometry. According to our results, prp45(1-169) mutation leads to the prolongation of the cell cycle. For the purpose of monitoring the dynamics of nucleosomes in S. cerevisiae strains, the system of...

Relations among transcription, pre-mRNA processing and chromatin modifications are only partially understood. The human protein SNW1/SKIP belongs to factors which couple these processes. The protein plays role in pre-mRNA splicing and transcription on the level of both initiation and elongation. According to the hypothesis of K. Jones laboratory, it physically and functionally interacts with positive transcription elongation factor b during transcription elongation and influences methylation of histone H3 on lysine 4, a modification characteristic for active transcription (Bres et al., Genes Dev. 19:1211-26, 2005, Bres et al., Mol Cell. 36:75-87, 2009). The yeast ortholog of SNW1/SKIP, Prp45, was until now reported only in connection with splicing regulation. However, unpublished results from our Laboratory and others showed that it is employed in transcription elongation as well. The aim of the diploma project was to search for the relations between Prp45 and the factors regulating transcription. It was confirmed that the mutation prp45(1 169) results in the delay of PHO5 and PHO84 expression during transcriptional induction. Next, we discovered new genetic interactions between PRP45 and several genes encoding the effectors of chromatin modifications. How Prp45 influences the expression of PHO5 and PHO84...

It is well known that chromatin posttranslational state, transcription and splicing influence each other. Nevertheless, the details of this coupling are not fully understood. In S. cerevisiae, it is possible to induce conditions, in which splicing is uncoupled from transcription. Such situation occurred in cells expressing a mutated splicing factor Prp45, whose human homolog has been proved to participate in transcription regulation and also in splicing reactions. Based on previously indicated interactions in high throughput two-hybrid screens, we have been looking for physical links between Prp45 and proteins involved in chromatin posttranslational modifications. Finding of such a link would provide insight into the relationships of gene expression processes. Using coimmunoprecipitation and affinity purification, we were unable to detect physical interactions between Prp45 and our candidate chromatin regulators. Alternative approaches are discussed. Using the precipitation techniques, we mapped the interaction of Prp46 with truncated variants of Prp45. This observation contributes to our knowledge of protein-protein interactions within the spliceosome.