The low-abundance U11 and U12 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) interact to form a two-snRNP complex

A novel small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) complex containing both U11 and U12 RNAs has been identified in HeLa cell extracts. This U11/U12 snRNP complex can be visualized on glycerol gradients, on native polyacrylamide gels, and by selection with antisense 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotides. RNase H-mediated degradation of the U12 snRNA confirmed a direct interaction between the U11 and U12 snRNPs. This snRNP complex is the first to be identified involving low-abundance snRNPs. Selection of the U11/U12 snRNP complex is sensitive to high salt, suggestive of a protein-mediated interaction. Secondary structure analyses revealed several regions of the U11 snRNP accessible for interaction with other RNAs or proteins but no detectable difference between the accessibility of these regions in the U11 monoparticle compared with the U11/U12 snRNP complex. There are also several accessible single-stranded regions in the U12 snRNP, and oligonucleotide-directed RNase H digestion identified nucleotides 28 to 36 of U12 as containing sequences required for the U11/U12 interaction. Both the U12 snRNP and the U11/U12 snRNP complex can be disrupted without altering the cleavage/polyadenylation activity of a nuclear extract.