The SMN complex catalyzes the assembly of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), the building blocks of the spliceosome, and thereby plays an important role in the splicing of cellular pre-mRNAs. Most spliceosomal snRNPs contain a common set of Sm proteins smb1, smd1, smd2, smd3, sme1, smf1 and smg1 that assemble in a heptameric protein ring on the Sm site of the small nuclear RNA to form the core snRNP. In the cytosol, the Sm proteins smd1, smd2, sme1, smf1 and smg1 (5Sm) are trapped in an inactive 6S pICln-Sm complex by the chaperone saf5. To complete assembly of core snRNPs, the SMN complex accepts 5Sm from saf5. Binding of snRNA inside 5Sm ultimately triggers eviction of the SMN complex, thereby allowing binding of smd3 and smb1 to complete assembly of the core snRNP. Within the SMN complex, yip11/gem2 constrains the conformation of 5Sm, thereby promoting 5Sm binding to snRNA containing the snRNP code (a nonameric Sm site and a 3'-adjacent stem-loop), thus preventing progression of assembly until a cognate substrate is bound.
