Two immunologically related polypeptides of 72/74 kDa specify a novel 70-100S heterogeneous nuclear RNP.

Evidence suggesting the presence in rat liver nuclear extracts of a new RNP complex of 70-110S has been provided [Hatzoglou, M., Adamtziki, E., Margaritis, L. and Sekeris, C.E (1985) Exp. Cell. Res. 157, 227-241]. Biochemical features unique to this RNP were its stability to salt and RNase digestion and the presence of a pair of polypeptides of 72/74 kDa. By producing antibodies against the 72/74 kDa polypeptides these proteins have been defined as integral components of the 70-110S RNP complex. They comprise two immunologically related polypeptides with an exclusively nucleoplasmic localization, giving a speckled pattern in a diffuse background, similar, but not identical, to the Sm antigen. The 70-110S RNP complex, referred to as large heterogeneous nuclear RNP (LH-nRNP), has a simple protein pattern that includes, in addition to the 72/74 kDa proteins, three stably associated polypeptides of apparent molecular size 110, 61 and 59 kDa. The bulk of its RNA component represents a discrete RNA population of 10-20S, belonging to a subset of the RNA detected within immunopurified HeLa hnRNP complexes. These RNA species are RNA polymerase II transcripts of greater stability relative to the bulk of hnRNA, containing oligo(A) or poly(A) sequences. Immunodepletion and/or antibody addition studies in HeLa splicing extracts using antibodies with specificity for the 72/74 kDa proteins revealed a rather strong inhibition of splicing activity, suggesting participation of the LH-nRNP complex in in vitro splicing.