The gene for human E2 small nucleolar RNA resides in an intron of a laminin-binding protein gene

Several of the known small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) species have been shown to be required for processing of ribosomal RNA precursors (pre-rRNA). The genes of most of the known vertebrate snoRNA species are located in introns of genes for messenger RNA precursors. E2 RNA is a nucleolar species that is 154 nucleotides long in human; it belongs to a new family of snoRNAs because it does not have the sequences named box C, C{prime} or D that are present in most vertebrate snoRNA species, and it does not bind fibrillarin, the nucleolar protein associated with most snoRNAs. E2 snoRNA is found in all tissues tested and in all vertebrates analyzed. E2 snoRNA is expected to have a unique function in ribosome formation, because it psoralen-photocrosslinks in vivo to a unique internal segment of the 28S rRNA sequence of pre-rRNA. Two observations are compatible with the possibility that the human E2 RNA gene may be intronic. First, the human E2 RNA gene lacks the intragenic or flanking sequences that are functional in other genes. Second, the 5{prime} end of E2 RNA is monophosphorylated, suggesting that is formed by RNA processing. Intron-encoded snoRNAs have monophosphorylated 5{prime}termini. Until now, it was not knownmore » whether the E2 RNA gene resides in an intron. This information is important for studying the biosynthesis of E2 RNA. 13 refs., 1 fig.« less