A07 Conti: Regulation of the DEAD-box RNA helicase Sub2 by TREX

RNA helicases are regulated by conformational changes that are driven by the binding of substrates and effector proteins. The RNA helicase Sub2 participates in many crucial processes in the nucleus, including splicing and formation of export-competent messenger ribonucleoprotein partciles (mRNPs). In particular, Sub2 functions during transcription elongation with the THO complex and in turns recruits the mRNA export factor Yra1 to form the so‑called transcription-export (TREX) complex. In this proposal, we aim to understand how Sub2 is activated in the context of TREX by the combined action of THO and Yra1. The information we will obtain on the export functions of Sub2 may have implications on the activation mechanisms of Sub2 in splicing, a topic studied by the group of Michael Sattler (B03).