Lesson plan

CPSF4

Cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor subunit 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CPSF4 gene. Inhibition of the nuclear export of poly(A)-containing mRNAs caused by the influenza A virus NS1 protein requires its effector domain. The NS1 effector domain functionally interacts with the cellular 30 kDa subunit of cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 4, an essential component of the 3' end processing machinery of cellular pre-mRNAs. In influenza virus-infected cells, the NS1 protein is physically associated with cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 4, 30kD subunit. Binding of the NS1 protein to the 30 kDa protein in vitro prevents CPSF binding to the RNA substrate and inhibits 3' end cleavage and polyadenylation of host pre-mRNAs. Thus the NS1 protein selectively inhibits the nuclear export of cellular, and not viral, mRNAs. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants that encode different isoforms have been described for this gene.

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Article summary

Cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor subunit 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CPSF4 gene. Inhibition of the nuclear export of poly(A)-containing mRNAs caused by the influenza A virus NS1 protein requires its effector domain. The NS1 effector domain functionally interacts with the cellular 30 kDa subunit of cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 4, an essential component of the 3' end processing machinery of cellular pre-mRNAs. In influenza virus-infected cells, the NS1 protein is physically associated with cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 4, 30kD subunit. Binding of the NS1 protein to the 30 kDa protein in vitro prevents CPSF binding to the RNA substrate and inhibits 3' end cleavage and polyadenylation of host pre-mRNAs. Thus the NS1 protein selectively inhibits the nuclear export of cellular, and not viral, mRNAs. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants that encode different isoforms have been described for this gene.

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Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

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