Members of the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein H family activate splicing of an HIV-1 splicing substrate by promoting formation of ATP-dependent spliceosomal complexes.

In this study we analyzed members of the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) H protein family to determine their RNA binding specificities and roles in splicing regulation. Our data indicate that hnRNPs H, H', F, 2H9, and GRSF-1 bind the consensus motif DGGGD (where D is U, G, or A) and aggregate in a multimeric complex. We analyzed the role of these proteins in the splicing of a substrate derived from the HIV-1 tat gene and have shown that hnRNP H family members are required for efficient splicing of this substrate. The hnRNP H protein family members activated splicing of the viral substrate by promoting the formation of ATP-dependent spliceosomal complexes. Mutational analysis of six consensus motifs present within the intron of the substrate indicated that only one of these motifs acts as an intronic splicing enhancer.