RNPcomplex

RNPcomplex is a molecular assembly comprising RNA molecules bound by proteins, forming a functional unit that carries out diverse tasks in RNA biology. RNP complexes range from small particles containing a single RNA and a few proteins to large megadalton assemblies. They are central to the metabolism, processing, and regulation of RNA across the cell.

Components of a RNPcomplex commonly include an RNA component that serves as scaffold or template and one or more RNA-binding proteins that provide specificity, catalysis, or structural support. Proteins often contain RNA-binding domains such as RNA recognition motifs or other RNA-interacting regions, and may contribute catalytic activity or regulatory control. Well-known examples of RNP complexes include ribosomes (translation machinery), spliceosomal snRNPs and snoRNPs (RNA splicing and modification), telomerase RNPs (telomere maintenance), and various hnRNPs involved in RNA processing and transport.

Formation and regulation of RNPcomplexes are often co-transcriptional or co-translational, with assembly guided by chaperones and helper factors. Assembly can be dynamic, with components exchanging in response to cellular conditions. Post-translational modifications of proteins and chemical modifications of RNA can modulate interactions and activity.

Functions of RNPcomplexes are diverse: catalysis (as in the ribosome), RNA processing and modification (spliceosome and snoRNPs), RNA maturation, transport and localization, and regulation of stability and translation. Dysfunction or misassembly of RNPcomplexes is linked to diseases such as neurodegeneration and cancer.

Research into RNPcomplexes employs methods including crosslinking and immunoprecipitation, cryo-electron microscopy, and RNA-protein interaction assays to study composition, structure, and dynamics.