A Large Collection of Compact Box C/D snoRNAs and their Isoforms in Euglena gracilis: Structural, Functional and Evolutionary Insights

RNA-Seq employing a novel rRNA depletion strategy reveals a rich repertoire of snoRNAs in Euglena gracilis including box C/D and Ψ-guide RNAs targeting the modification of rRNA extremities

Previous mRNA transcriptome studies of Euglena gracilis have shown that this organism possesses a large and diverse complement of protein coding genes; however, the study of non-coding RNA classes has been limited. The natural extensive fragmentation of the E. gracilis large subunit ribosomal RNA presents additional barriers to the identification of non-coding RNAs as size-selected small RNA libraries will be dominated by rRNA sequences. In this study we have developed a strategy to significantly reduce rRNA amplification prior to RNA-Seq analysis thereby producing a ncRNA library allowing for the identification of many new E. gracilis small RNAs. Library analysis reveals 113 unique new small nucleolar (sno) RNAs and a large collection of snoRNA isoforms, as well as the first significant collection of nuclear tRNAs in this organism. A 3' end AGAUGN consensus motif and conserved structural features can now be defined for E. gracilis pseudouridine guide RNAs. snoRNAs of both classes were identified that target modification of the 3' extremities of rRNAs utilizing predicted base-pairing interactions with internally transcribed spacers (ITS), providing insight into the timing of steps in rRNA maturation. Cumulatively, this represents the most comprehensive analysis of small ncRNAs in Euglena gracilis to date.

Early evolution of eukaryote feeding modes, cell structural diversity, and classification of the protozoan phyla Loukozoa, Sulcozoa, and Choanozoa

I discuss how different feeding modes and related cellular structures map onto the eukaryote evolutionary tree. Centrally important for understanding eukaryotic cell diversity are Loukozoa: ancestrally biciliate phagotrophic protozoa possessing a posterior cilium and ventral feeding groove into which ciliary currents direct prey. I revise their classification by including all anaerobic Metamonada as a subphylum and adding Tsukubamonas. Loukozoa, often with ciliary vanes, are probably ancestral to all protozoan phyla except Euglenozoa and Percolozoa and indirectly to kingdoms Animalia, Fungi, Plantae, and Chromista. I make a new protozoan phylum Sulcozoa comprising subphyla Apusozoa (Apusomonadida, Breviatea) and Varisulca (Diphyllatea; Planomonadida, Discocelida, Mantamonadida; Rigifilida). Understanding sulcozoan evolution clarifies the origins from them of opisthokonts (animals, fungi, Choanozoa) and Amoebozoa, and their evolutionary novelties; Sulcozoa and their descendants (collectively called podiates) arguably arose from Loukozoa by evolving posterior ciliary gliding and pseudopodia in their ventral groove. I explain subsequent independent cytoskeletal modifications, accompanying further shifts in feeding mode, that generated Amoebozoa, Choanozoa, and fungi. I revise classifications of Choanozoa, Conosa (Amoebozoa), and basal fungal phylum Archemycota. I use Choanozoa, Sulcozoa, Loukozoa, and Archemycota to emphasize the need for simply classifying ancestral (paraphyletic) groups and illustrate advantages of this for understanding step-wise phylogenetic advances.

Evolutionarily divergent spliceosomal snRNAs and a conserved non-coding RNA processing motif in Giardia lamblia

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have diverse essential biological functions in all organisms, and in eukaryotes, two such classes of ncRNAs are the small nucleolar (sno) and small nuclear (sn) RNAs. In this study, we have identified and characterized a collection of sno and snRNAs in Giardia lamblia, by exploiting our discovery of a conserved 12 nt RNA processing sequence motif found in the 3' end regions of a large number of G. lamblia ncRNA genes. RNA end mapping and other experiments indicate the motif serves to mediate ncRNA 3' end formation from mono- and di-cistronic RNA precursor transcripts. Remarkably, we find the motif is also utilized in the processing pathway of all four previously identified trans-spliced G. lamblia introns, revealing a common RNA processing pathway for ncRNAs and trans-spliced introns in this organism. Motif sequence conservation then allowed for the bioinformatic and experimental identification of additional G. lamblia ncRNAs, including new U1 and U6 spliceosomal snRNA candidates. The U6 snRNA candidate was then used as a tool to identity novel U2 and U4 snRNAs, based on predicted phylogenetically conserved snRNA-snRNA base-pairing interactions, from a set of previously identified G. lamblia ncRNAs without assigned function. The Giardia snRNAs retain the core features of spliceosomal snRNAs but are sufficiently evolutionarily divergent to explain the difficulties in their identification. Most intriguingly, all of these snRNAs show structural features diagnostic of U2-dependent/major and U12-dependent/minor spliceosomal snRNAs.

Clustered organization, polycistronic transcription, and evolution of modification-guide snoRNA genes in Euglena gracilis

Previous studies have shown that the eukaryotic microbe Euglena gracilis contains an unusually large assortment of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) modification sites. However, little is known about the evolutionary mechanisms contributing to this situation. In this study, we have examined the organization and evolution of snoRNA genes in Euglena with the additional objective of determining how these properties relate to the rRNA modification pattern in this protist. We have identified and extensively characterized a clustered pattern of genes encoding previously biochemically isolated snoRNA sequences in E. gracilis. We show that polycistronic transcription is a prevalent snoRNA gene expression strategy in this organism. Further, we have identified 121 new snoRNA coding regions through sequence analysis of these clusters. We have identified an E. gracilis U14 snoRNA homolog clustered with modification-guide snoRNA genes. The U14 snoRNAs in other eukaryotic organisms examined to date typically contain both a modification and a processing domain. E. gracilis U14 lacks the modification domain but retains the processing domain. Our analysis of U14 structure and evolution in Euglena and other eukaryotes allows us to propose a model for its evolution and suggest its processing role may be its more important function, explaining its conservation in many eukaryotes. The preponderance of apparent small and larger-scale duplication events in the genomic regions we have characterized in Euglena provides a mechanism for the generation of the unusually diverse collection and abundance of snoRNAs and modified rRNA sites. Our findings provide the framework for more extensive whole genome analysis to elucidate whether these snoRNA gene clusters are spread across multiple chromosomes and/or form dense "arrays" at a limited number of chromosomal loci.

Complete modification maps for the cytosolic small and large subunit rRNAs of Euglena gracilis: functional and evolutionary implications of contrasting patterns between the two rRNA components

In the protist Euglena gracilis, the cytosolic small subunit (SSU) rRNA is a single, covalently continuous species typical of most eukaryotes; in contrast, the large subunit (LSU) rRNA is naturally fragmented, comprising 14 separate RNA molecules instead of the bipartite (28S+5.8S) eukaryotic LSU rRNA typically seen. We present extensively revised secondary structure models of the E. gracilis SSU and LSU rRNAs and have mapped the positions of all of the modified nucleosides in these rRNAs (88 in SSU rRNA and 262 in LSU rRNA, with only 3 LSU rRNA modifications incompletely characterized). The relative proportions of ribose-methylated nucleosides and pseudouridine (∼60% and ∼35%, respectively) are closely similar in the two rRNAs; however, whereas the Euglena SSU rRNA has about the same absolute number of modifications as its human counterpart, the Euglena LSU rRNA has twice as many modifications as the corresponding human LSU rRNA. The increased levels of rRNA fragmentation and modification in E. gracilis LSU rRNA are correlated with a 3-fold increase in the level of mispairing in helical regions compared to the human LSU rRNA. In contrast, no comparable increase in mispairing is seen in helical regions of the SSU rRNA compared to its homologs in other eukaryotes. In view of the reported effects of both ribose-methylated nucleoside and pseudouridine residues on RNA structure, these correlations lead us to suggest that increased modification in the LSU rRNA may play a role in stabilizing a 'looser' structure promoted by elevated helical mispairing and a high degree of fragmentation.

Ribonucleoprotein multimers and their functions

Ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) play key roles in many cellular processes and often function as RNP enzymes. Similar to proteins, some of these RNPs exist and function as multimers, either homomeric or heteromeric. While in some cases the mechanistic function of multimerization is well understood, the functional consequences of multimerization of other RNPs remain enigmatic. In this review we will discuss the function and organization of small RNPs that exist as stable multimers, including RNPs catalyzing RNA chemical modifications, telomerase RNP, and RNPs involved in pre-mRNA splicing.

Origin of the cell nucleus, mitosis and sex: roles of intracellular coevolution

BACKGROUND

The transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes was the most radical change in cell organisation since life began, with the largest ever burst of gene duplication and novelty. According to the coevolutionary theory of eukaryote origins, the fundamental innovations were the concerted origins of the endomembrane system and cytoskeleton, subsequently recruited to form the cell nucleus and coevolving mitotic apparatus, with numerous genetic eukaryotic novelties inevitable consequences of this compartmentation and novel DNA segregation mechanism. Physical and mutational mechanisms of origin of the nucleus are seldom considered beyond the long-standing assumption that it involved wrapping pre-existing endomembranes around chromatin. Discussions on the origin of sex typically overlook its association with protozoan entry into dormant walled cysts and the likely simultaneous coevolutionary, not sequential, origin of mitosis and meiosis.

RESULTS

I elucidate nuclear and mitotic coevolution, explaining the origins of dicer and small centromeric RNAs for positionally controlling centromeric heterochromatin, and how 27 major features of the cell nucleus evolved in four logical stages, making both mechanisms and selective advantages explicit: two initial stages (origin of 30 nm chromatin fibres, enabling DNA compaction; and firmer attachment of endomembranes to heterochromatin) protected DNA and nascent RNA from shearing by novel molecular motors mediating vesicle transport, division, and cytoplasmic motility. Then octagonal nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) arguably evolved from COPII coated vesicle proteins trapped in clumps by Ran GTPase-mediated cisternal fusion that generated the fenestrated nuclear envelope, preventing lethal complete cisternal fusion, and allowing passive protein and RNA exchange. Finally, plugging NPC lumens by an FG-nucleoporin meshwork and adopting karyopherins for nucleocytoplasmic exchange conferred compartmentation advantages. These successive changes took place in naked growing cells, probably as indirect consequences of the origin of phagotrophy. The first eukaryote had 1-2 cilia and also walled resting cysts; I outline how encystation may have promoted the origin of meiotic sex. I also explain why many alternative ideas are inadequate.

CONCLUSION

Nuclear pore complexes are evolutionary chimaeras of endomembrane- and mitosis-related chromatin-associated proteins. The keys to understanding eukaryogenesis are a proper phylogenetic context and understanding organelle coevolution: how innovations in one cell component caused repercussions on others.

U3 snoRNA genes are multi-copy and frequently linked to U5 snRNA genes in Euglena gracilis

Background

U3 snoRNA is a box C/D small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) involved in the processing events that liberate 18S rRNA from the ribosomal RNA precursor (pre-rRNA). Although U3 snoRNA is present in all eukaryotic organisms, most investigations of it have focused on fungi (particularly yeasts), animals and plants. Relatively little is known about U3 snoRNA and its gene(s) in the phylogenetically broad assemblage of protists (mostly unicellular eukaryotes). In the euglenozoon Euglena gracilis, a distant relative of the kinetoplastid protozoa, Southern analysis had previously revealed at least 13 bands hybridizing with U3 snoRNA, suggesting the existence of multiple copies of U3 snoRNA genes.

Results

Through screening of a λ genomic library and PCR amplification, we recovered 14 U3 snoRNA gene variants, defined by sequence heterogeneities that are mostly located in the U3 3'-stem-loop domain. We identified three different genomic arrangements of Euglena U3 snoRNA genes: i) stand-alone, ii) linked to tRNA^Arg genes, and iii) linked to a U5 snRNA gene. In arrangement ii), the U3 snoRNA gene is positioned upstream of two identical tRNA^Arg genes that are convergently transcribed relative to the U3 gene. This scenario is reminiscent of a U3 snoRNA-tRNA gene linkage previously described in trypanosomatids. We document here twelve different U3 snoRNA-U5 snRNA gene arrangements in Euglena; in each case, the U3 gene is linked to a downstream and convergently oriented U5 gene, with the intergenic region differing in length and sequence among the variants.

Conclusion

The multiple U3 snoRNA-U5 snRNA gene linkages, which cluster into distinct families based on sequence similarities within the intergenic spacer, presumably arose by genome, chromosome, and/or locus duplications. We discuss possible reasons for the existence of the unusually large number of U3 snoRNA genes in the Euglena genome. Variability in the signal intensities of the multiple Southern hybridization bands raises the possibility that Euglena contains a naturally aneuploid chromosome complement.

SnoRNAs from the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa: structural, functional and evolutionary insights

BACKGROUND

SnoRNAs represent an excellent model for studying the structural and functional evolution of small non-coding RNAs involved in the post-transcriptional modification machinery for rRNAs and snRNAs in eukaryotic cells. Identification of snoRNAs from Neurospora crassa, an important model organism playing key roles in the development of modern genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology will provide insights into the evolution of snoRNA genes in the fungus kingdom.

RESULTS

Fifty five box C/D snoRNAs were identified and predicted to guide 71 2'-O-methylated sites including four sites on snRNAs and three sites on tRNAs. Additionally, twenty box H/ACA snoRNAs, which potentially guide 17 pseudouridylations on rRNAs, were also identified. Although not exhaustive, the study provides the first comprehensive list of two major families of snoRNAs from the filamentous fungus N. crassa. The independently transcribed strategy dominates in the expression of box H/ACA snoRNA genes, whereas most of the box C/D snoRNA genes are intron-encoded. This shows that different genomic organizations and expression modes have been adopted by the two major classes of snoRNA genes in N. crassa . Remarkably, five gene clusters represent an outstanding organization of box C/D snoRNA genes, which are well conserved among yeasts and multicellular fungi, implying their functional importance for the fungus cells. Interestingly, alternative splicing events were found in the expression of two polycistronic snoRNA gene hosts that resemble the UHG-like genes in mammals. Phylogenetic analysis further revealed that the extensive separation and recombination of two functional elements of snoRNA genes has occurred during fungus evolution.

CONCLUSION

This is the first genome-wide analysis of the filamentous fungus N. crassa snoRNAs that aids in understanding the differences between unicellular fungi and multicellular fungi. As compared with two yeasts, a more complex pattern of methylation guided by box C/D snoRNAs in multicellular fungus than in unicellular yeasts was revealed, indicating the high diversity of post-transcriptional modification guided by snoRNAs in the fungus kingdom.

Cl gene cluster encoding several small nucleolar RNAs: a comparison amongst trypanosomatids

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that modify RNA molecules such as rRNA and snRNA by guiding 2'-O-ribose methylation (C/D box snoRNA family) and pseudouridylation reactions (H/ACA snoRNA family). H/ACA snoRNAs are also involved in trans-splicing in trypanosomatids. The aims of this work were to characterise the Cl gene cluster that encodes several snoRNAs in Trypanosoma rangeli and compare it with clusters from Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, Leishmania major, Leishmania infantum, Leishmania braziliensis and Leptomonas collosoma. The T. rangeli Cl gene cluster is an 801 base pair (bp) repeat sequence that encodes three C/D (Cl1, Cl2 and Cl4) and three H/ACA (Cl3, Cl5 and Cl6) snoRNAs. In contrast to T. brucei, the Cl3 and Cl5 homologues have not been annotated in the Leishmania or T. cruzi genome projects (http//:www.genedb.org). Of note, snoRNA transcribed regions have a high degree of sequence identity among all species and share gene synteny. Collectively, these findings suggest that the Cl cluster could constitute an interesting target for therapeutic (gene silencing) or diagnostic intervention strategies (PCR-derived tools).

Psiscan: a computational approach to identify H/ACA-like and AGA-like non-coding RNA in trypanosomatid genomes

Background

Detection of non coding RNA (ncRNA) molecules is a major bioinformatics challenge. This challenge is particularly difficult when attempting to detect H/ACA molecules which are involved in converting uridine to pseudouridine on rRNA in trypanosomes, because these organisms have unique H/ACA molecules (termed H/ACA-like) that lack several of the features that characterize H/ACA molecules in most other organisms.

Results

We present here a computational tool called Psiscan, which was designed to detect H/ACA-like molecules in trypanosomes. We started by analyzing known H/ACA-like molecules and characterized their crucial elements both computationally and experimentally.

Next, we set up constraints based on this analysis and additional phylogenic and functional data to rapidly scan three trypanosome genomes (T. brucei, T. cruzi and L. major) for sequences that observe these constraints and are conserved among the species. In the next step, we used minimal energy calculation to select the molecules that are predicted to fold into a lowest energy structure that is consistent with the constraints. In the final computational step, we used a Support Vector Machine that was trained on known H/ACA-like molecules as positive examples and on negative examples of molecules that were identified by the computational analyses but were shown experimentally not to be H/ACA-like molecules. The leading candidate molecules predicted by the SVM model were then subjected to experimental validation.

Conclusion

The experimental validation showed 11 molecules to be expressed (4 out of 25 in the intermediate stage and 7 out of 19 in the final validation after the machine learning stage). Five of these 11 molecules were further shown to be bona fide H/ACA-like molecules. As snoRNA in trypanosomes are organized in clusters, the new H/ACA-like molecules could be used as starting points to manually search for additional molecules in their neighbourhood. All together this study increased our repertoire by fourteen H/ACA-like and six C/D snoRNAs molecules from T. brucei and L. Major. In addition the experimental analysis revealed that six ncRNA molecules that are expressed are not downregulated in CBF5 silenced cells, suggesting that they have structural features of H/ACA-like molecules but do not have their standard function. We termed this novel class of molecules AGA-like, and we are exploring their function.

This study demonstrates the power of tight collaboration between computational and experimental approaches in a combined effort to reveal the repertoire of ncRNA molecles.

Elucidating the role of C/D snoRNA in rRNA processing and modification in Trypanosoma brucei

Most eukaryotic C/D small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) guide 2'-O methylation (Nm) on rRNA and are also involved in rRNA processing. The four core proteins that bind C/D snoRNA in Trypanosoma brucei are fibrillarin (NOP1), NOP56, NOP58, and SNU13. Silencing of NOP1 by RNA interference identified rRNA-processing and modification defects that caused lethality. Systematic mapping of 2'-O-methyls on rRNA revealed the existence of hypermethylation at certain positions of the rRNA in the bloodstream form of the parasites, suggesting that this modification may assist the parasites in coping with the major temperature changes during cycling between their insect and mammalian hosts. The rRNA-processing defects of NOP1-depleted cells suggest the involvement of C/D snoRNA in trypanosome-specific rRNA-processing events to generate the small rRNA fragments. MRP RNA, which is involved in rRNA processing, was identified in this study in one of the snoRNA gene clusters, suggesting that trypanosomes utilize a combination of unique C/D snoRNAs and conserved snoRNAs for rRNA processing.

Structural RNAs of known and unknown function identified in malaria parasites by comparative genomics and RNA analysis

As the genomes of more eukaryotic pathogens are sequenced, understanding how molecular differences between parasite and host might be exploited to provide new therapies has become a major focus. Central to cell function are RNA-containing complexes involved in gene expression, such as the ribosome, the spliceosome, snoRNAs, RNase P, and telomerase, among others. In this article we identify by comparative genomics and validate by RNA analysis numerous previously unknown structural RNAs encoded by the Plasmodium falciparum genome, including the telomerase RNA, U3, 31 snoRNAs, as well as previously predicted spliceosomal snRNAs, SRP RNA, MRP RNA, and RNAse P RNA. Furthermore, we identify six new RNA coding genes of unknown function. To investigate the relationships of the RNA coding genes to other genomic features in related parasites, we developed a genome browser for P. falciparum (http://areslab.ucsc.edu/cgi-bin/hgGateway). Additional experiments provide evidence supporting the prediction that snoRNAs guide methylation of a specific position on U4 snRNA, as well as predicting an snRNA promoter element particular to Plasmodium sp. These findings should allow detailed structural comparisons between the RNA components of the gene expression machinery of the parasite and its vertebrate hosts.

Exploration of pairing constraints identifies a 9 base-pair core within box C/D snoRNA-rRNA duplexes

2'-O-ribose methylation of eukaryotic ribosomal RNAs is guided by RNA duplexes consisting of rRNA and box C/D small nucleolar (sno)RNA sequences, the methylated sites invariably mapping five positions apart from the D box. Here we have analyzed the RNA duplex pairing constraints by investigating the features of 415 duplexes from the fungus, plant and animal kingdoms, and the evolution of those duplexes within the 124 sets they group into. The D-box upstream 1st and >or=15th positions consist of Watson-Crick base-pairs, G:U base-pairs and mismatched bases with ratios close to random assortments; these positions display single base differences in >60% of the RNA duplex sets. The D-box upstream 2nd to 11th positions have >90% Watson-Crick base-pairs; they display single base mutations with a U-shaped distribution of lower values of 0% and 1.6% at the methylated site 5th and 4th positions, and double compensatory mutations leading to new Watson-Crick base-pairs with an inverted U-shaped distribution of higher values at the 8th to 11th positions. Half of the single mutations at the 3rd to 11th positions resulted in G:U base-pairing, mainly through A-->G mutations in the rRNA strands and C-->T mutations in the snoRNA strands. Double compensatory mutations at the 3rd to 11th positions are extremely frequent, representing 36% of all mutations; they frequently arose from an A-->G mutation in the rRNA strands followed by a T-->C mutation in the snoRNA strands. Differences in the mutational pathways through which the rRNA and snoRNA strand evolved must be related to differences in the rRNA and snoRNA copy number and gene organization. Altogether these data identify the D-box upstream 3rd to 11th positions as box C/D snoRNA-rRNA duplex cores. The impact of the pairing constraints on the evolution of the 9 base-pair RNA duplex cores is discussed.

Characterization and functional analysis of a novel double-guide C/D box snoRNA in the fission yeast

Ribose methylation of eukaryotic rRNA is directed by box C/D small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), which pinpoint the nucleotide to be methylated in specific position within the rRNA sequence. Here, we report the identification of a novel double-guide C/D box snoRNA termed snR88 that directs methylation of two previously undetermined sites in 25S rRNA from the fission yeast. Knockout of the predicted TATA box of the snR88 gene resulted in the complete blocking of its expression, showing that snR88 is an independently transcribed gene and dispensable for yeast viability. The depletion of snR88 abolished 25S rRNA methylation at U2304 and U2497 simultaneously. Interestingly, an unusual pause of reverse transcription at U2495 was observed, which implies an unknown structure of 25S rRNA related to ribose methylation at U2497 in the fission yeast.

Genome-wide analysis of C/D and H/ACA-like small nucleolar RNAs in Leishmania major indicates conservation among trypanosomatids in the repertoire and in their rRNA targets

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are a large group of noncoding RNAs that exist in eukaryotes and archaea and guide modifications such as 2'-O-ribose methylations and pseudouridylation on rRNAs and snRNAs. Recently, we described a genome-wide screening approach with Trypanosoma brucei that revealed over 90 guide RNAs. In this study, we extended this approach to analyze the repertoire of the closely related human pathogen Leishmania major. We describe 23 clusters that encode 62 C/Ds that can potentially guide 79 methylations and 37 H/ACA-like RNAs that can potentially guide 30 pseudouridylation reactions. Like T. brucei, Leishmania also contains many modifications and guide RNAs relative to its genome size. This study describes 10 H/ACAs and 14 C/Ds that were not found in T. brucei. Mapping of 2'-O-methylations in rRNA regions rich in modifications suggests the existence of trypanosomatid-specific modifications conserved in T. brucei and Leishmania. Structural features of C/D snoRNAs, such as copy number, conservation of boxes, K turns, and intragenic and extragenic base pairing, were examined to elucidate the great variation in snoRNA abundance. This study highlights the power of comparative genomics for determining conserved features of noncoding RNAs.

An early evolutionary origin for the minor spliceosome

The minor spliceosome is a ribonucleoprotein complex that catalyses the removal of an atypical class of spliceosomal introns (U12-type) from eukaryotic messenger RNAs. It was first identified and characterized in animals, where it was found to contain several unique RNA constituents that share structural similarity with and seem to be functionally analogous to the small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) contained in the major spliceosome. Subsequently, minor spliceosomal components and U12-type introns have been found in plants but not in fungi. Unlike that of the major spliceosome, which arose early in the eukaryotic lineage, the evolutionary history of the minor spliceosome is unclear because there is evidence of it in so few organisms. Here we report the identification of homologues of minor-spliceosome-specific proteins and snRNAs, and U12-type introns, in distantly related eukaryotic microbes (protists) and in a fungus (Rhizopus oryzae). Cumulatively, our results indicate that the minor spliceosome had an early origin: several of its characteristic constituents are present in representative organisms from all eukaryotic supergroups for which there is any substantial genome sequence information. In addition, our results reveal marked evolutionary conservation of functionally important sequence elements contained within U12-type introns and snRNAs.