The TREX (transcription/export) complex has been conserved throughout evolution from yeast to man and is required for coupled transcription elongation and nuclear export of mRNAs. The TREX complex in mammals and Drosophila is composed of the THO subcomplex (THOC1, THOC2, THOC5, THOC6, and THOC7), THOC3, UAP56, and Aly/THOC4. In human and Drosophila, various studies have shown that THO is required for the export of heat shock mRNAs, but nothing is known about other mRNAs. Our previous study using conditional THOC5 (or FMIP ) knockout mice revealed that the presence of THOC5 is critical in hematopoietic cells but not for terminally differentiated cells. In this study, we describe the establishment of a mouse embryo fibroblast cell line (MEF), THOC5 flox/flox. Four days after infection of MEF THOC5 flox/flox with adenovirus carrying Cre-recombinase gene (Ad-GFP-Cre), THOC5 is down-regulated >95% at the protein level, and cell growth is strongly suppressed. Transcriptome analysis using cytoplasmic RNA isolated from cells lacking functional THOC5 reveals that only 2.9% of all genes were down-regulated more than twofold. Although we examined these genes in fibroblasts, one-fifth of all downregulated genes (including HoxB3 and polycomb CBX2) are known to play a key role in hematopoietic development. We further identified 10 genes that are spliced but not exported to the cytoplasm in the absence of THOC5. These mRNAs were copurified with THOC5. Furthermore, Hsp70 mRNA was exported in the absence of THOC5 at 37°C, but not under heat shock condition (42°C), suggesting that THOC5 may be required for mRNA export under stress and/or upon signaling-induced conditions.

Edited by Ulrike KutayKeywords: FMIP/THOC5/fSAP79 THOC7/fSAP24 mRNA processing complex Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein a b s t r a c t THOC7 and Fms-interacting protein (FMIP) are members of the THO complex that associate with the mRNA export apparatus. FMIP is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein with a nuclear localization signal (NLS), whereas THOC7 does not contain a typical NLS motif. We show here that THOC7 (50-137, amino acid numbers) binds to the N-terminal portion (1-199) of FMIP directly. FMIP is detected mainly in the nucleus. In the absence of exogenous FMIP, THOC7 resides mainly in the cytoplasm, while in the presence of FMIP, THOC7 is transported into the nucleus with FMIP. Furthermore, THOC7 lacking the FMIP binding site does not co-localize with FMIP, indicating that THOC7/FMIP interaction is required for nuclear localization of THOC7.

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