Small nucleolar RNA SNORD115

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Small nucleolar RNA SNORD115

Type:	Gene; snRNA; guide; CD-box;
2° structure:	Predicted; PFOLD; Daub J
Seed alignment:	Griffiths-Jones SR
Avg length:	81.1 nucleotides
Avg identity:	90%

SNORD115 (also known as HBII-52) is a non-coding RNA (ncRNA) molecule which functions in the modification of other small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs). This type of modifiying RNA is usually located in the nucleolus of the eukaryotic cell which is a major site of snRNA biogenesis. It is known as a small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) and also often referred to as a guide RNA.

HBII-52 belongs to the C/D box class of snoRNAs which contain the conserved sequence motifs known as the C box (UGAUGA) and the D box (CUGA). Most of the members of the box C/D family function in directing site-specific 2'-O-methylation of substrate RNAs^[1].

In the human genome, HBII-52 is encoded in a tandemly repeated array with another C/D box snoRNA, HBII-85, in the Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) region of chromosome 15 ^[2]. HBII-52 is exclusively expressed in the brain but is absent in PWS patients. HBII-52 lacks any significant complementarity with ribosomal RNAs, but does have an 18 nucleotide region of conserved complementarity to serotonin 2C receptor mRNA.

[edit] References

^ Galardi, S; Fatica A, Bachi A, Scaloni A, Presutti C, Bozzoni I (2002). "Purified box C/D snoRNPs are able to reproduce site-specific 2'-O-methylation of target RNA in vitro". Mol Cell Biol 22: 6663–6668. doi:10.1128/MCB.22.19.6663-6668.2002. PMID 12215523.
^ Cavaillé J, Buiting K, Kiefmann M, et al (2000). "Identification of brain-specific and imprinted small nucleolar RNA genes exhibiting an unusual genomic organization". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97 (26): 14311–6. doi:10.1073/pnas.250426397. PMID 11106375.