RNA14 and RNA15 proteins as components of a yeast pre-mRNA 3'-end processing factor.

Most eukaryotic pre-messenger RNAs are processed at their 3' ends by endonucleolytic cleavage and polyadenylation. In yeast, this processing requires polyadenylate [poly(A)] polymerase (PAP) and other proteins that have not yet been characterized. Here, mutations in the PAP1 gene were shown to be synergistically lethal with previously identified mutations in the RNA14 and RNA15 genes, which suggests that their encoded proteins participate in 3'-end processing. Indeed, extracts from ma14 and rna15 mutants were shown to be deficient in both steps of processing. Biochemical complementation experiments and reconstitution of both activities with partially purified cleavage factor I (CF I) validated the genetic prediction.