Small nucleolar RNA SNORD38

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Small nucleolar RNA SNORD38

Type:	Gene; snRNA; guide; CD-box;
2° structure:	Predicted; PFOLD, Griffiths-Jones SR
Seed alignment:	Griffiths-Jones SR
Avg length:	69.0 nucleotides
Avg identity:	76%

snoRNA U38 (also known as SNORD38) 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.

snoRNA U38 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].

U38 is located in introns 4 and 5 of ribosomal protein S8 in human and in the homologous genes in mouse and cow ^[2]. U38 is predicted to guides the methylation of 2'-O-ribose residues in 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). The mouse homologue of U38 (MBII-329) has also been identified ^[3].

[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.
^ Nicoloso, M; Qu LH, Michot B, Bachellerie JP (1996). "Intron-encoded, antisense small nucleolar RNAs: the characterization of nine novel species points to their direct role as guides for the 2'-O-ribose methylation of rRNAs". J Mol Biol 260: 178–195. doi:10.1006/jmbi.1996.0391. PMID 8764399.
^ Huttenhofer, A; Kiefmann M, Meier-Ewert S, O'Brien J, Lehrach H, Bachellerie JP, Brosius J (2001). "RNomics: an experimental approach that identifies 201 candidates for novel, small, non-messenger RNAs in mouse". EMBO J 20: 2943–2953. doi:10.1093/emboj/20.11.2943. PMID 11387227.