tRNA-splicing endonuclease complex

Function

• identification & cleavage of splice sites in pre-tRNA.
• cleaves pre-tRNA at the 5' & 3' splice sites to release intron
  • products are an intron & 2 tRNA half-molecules bearing 2',3' cyclic phosphate & 5'-OH termini
• no conserved sequences at the splice sites, but intron is invariably located at the same site in the gene, placing splice sites an invariant distance from the constant structural features of the tRNA
• mRNA processing via association with pre-mRNA 3' end processing factors
• links pre-tRNA splicing & pre-mRNA 3' end formation

Structure

• heterotetramer consisting of: SEN2, SEN15, SEN34, SEN54
• associated with proteins of the pre-mRNA 3' end processing complex
  • CLP1, CPSF1, CPSF4, CSTF2

More general terms

• molecular complex
• endoribonuclease