[A new class of small RNP (alpha-RNP) containing antisense RNA in K-562 cells. I. Their characteristics and changes...

A new class of small RNP (alpha-RNP) has been detected and identified in nuclei and cytoplasm of A-562 erythroid leukemia cell line; these RNPs have a characteristic spectrum of proteins containing conservative and specific components and a special RNA component, which contains a small antisense component (alpha-RNA), a homolog of short dispersed Alu repeats. alpha-RNP is highly stable, tightly associated with chromatin in the nucleus, and is found in the free state in cytoplasm. The composition of nuclear and cytoplasmic alpha-RNP differ and have a specific pattern of changes in response to dimethylsulfoxide, an agent causing differentiation.