LSM3 is involved in pre-mRNA splicing as a component of the U4/U6-U5 tri-snRNP complex, which is essential for spliceosome assembly. The spliceosome is a complex molecular machine responsible for removing introns from pre-mRNA. LSM3 is also part of the precatalytic spliceosome (spliceosome B complex) .
The heptameric LSM2-8 complex, which includes LSM3, binds specifically to the 3’-terminal U-tract of U6 snRNA. This binding is crucial for the stability and function of U6 snRNA, which is a key component of the spliceosome .
LSM3 is associated with several important biological pathways, including:
The recombinant form of LSM3, known as Human Recombinant LSM3, is used in various research applications to study its function and role in RNA processing. This recombinant protein is produced using recombinant DNA technology, which allows for the expression of the LSM3 protein in a controlled laboratory environment .