SnR31, snR32, and snR33: three novel, non-essential snRNAs from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Genes for three novel yeast snRNAs have been identified and tested for essentiality. Partial sequence information was developed for RNA extracted from isolated nuclei and the respective gene sequences were discovered by screening a DNA sequence database. The three RNAs contain 222, 188 and 183 nucleotides and are designated snR31, snR32 and snR33, respectively. Each RNA is derived from a single copy gene. The SNR31 gene is adjacent to a gene for an unnamed protein associated with the cap-binding protein eIF-4E. The SNR32 gene is next to a gene for ribosomal protein L41 and the gene for SNR33 is on chromosome III, between two open reading frames with no known function. Genetic disruption analyses showed that none of the three snRNAs is required for growth. The new RNAs bring the number of non-spliceosomal snRNAs characterized thus far in S. cerevisiae to 14, of which only three are essential.