Archaeal Sm-related proteins: The Sm proteins are conserved in all three domains of life and are always associated with U-rich RNA sequences. They function to mediate RNA-RNA interactions and RNA biogenesis. All Sm proteins contain a common sequence motif in two segments, Sm1 and Sm2, separated by a short variable linker. Eukaryotic Sm proteins form part of specific small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) that are involved in the processing of pre-mRNAs to mature mRNAs, and are a major component of the eukaryotic spliceosome. Most snRNPs consist of seven Sm proteins (B/B', D1, D2, D3, E, F and G) arranged in a ring on a uridine-rich sequence (Sm site), plus a small nuclear RNA (snRNA) (either U1, U2, U5 or U4/6). Since archaebacteria do not have any splicing apparatus, their Sm proteins may play a more general role. Archaeal Lsm proteins are likely to represent the ancestral Sm domain.
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