Coilin Explained

Coilin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the COIL gene.^{[1] [2]} Coilin got its name from the coiled shape of the Cajal bodies in which it is found. It was first identified using human autoimmune serum.

Function

Coilin protein is one of the main molecular components of Cajal bodies. Cajal bodies are non-membrane bound nuclear bodies of varying number and composition that are involved in the post-transcriptional modification of small nuclear and small nucleolar RNAs. In addition to its structural role, coilin acts as glue to connect the CB to the nucleolus. The N-terminus of the coilin protein directs its self-oligomerization while the C-terminus influences the number of nuclear bodies assembled per cell. Differential methylation and phosphorylation of coilin likely influences its localization among nuclear bodies and the composition and assembly of Cajal bodies. This gene has pseudogenes on chromosome 4 and chromosome 14.

To study CBs, coilin can be combined with GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) to form Coilin-GFP hybrid protein. The hybrid protein can then be used to locate CBs underneath a microscope, usually near the nucleolus of the cell. Other proteins that make up the CB include snRNPs and nucleolar snoRNPs.

Coilin has been shown to interact with ataxin 1,^{[3] [4]} nucleolar phosphoprotein p130,^[5] SMN,^{[6] [7]} and SNRPB.^[7]

Further reading

• Ogg SC, Lamond AI . Cajal bodies and coilin — moving towards function . J. Cell Biol. . 159 . 1 . 17–21 . October 14, 2002 . 12379800 . 2173504 . 10.1083/jcb.200206111 .
• Andrade LE, Chan EK, Raska I, Peebles CL, Roos G, Tan EM . Human autoantibody to a novel protein of the nuclear coiled body: immunological characterization and cDNA cloning of p80-coilin . J. Exp. Med. . 173 . 6 . 1407–19 . 1991 . 2033369 . 2190846 . 10.1084/jem.173.6.1407 .
• Bohmann K, Ferreira JA, Lamond AI . Mutational analysis of p80 coilin indicates a functional interaction between coiled bodies and the nucleolus . J. Cell Biol. . 131 . 4 . 817–31 . 1996 . 7490287 . 2200013 . 10.1083/jcb.131.4.817 .
• Carmo-Fonseca M, Ferreira J, Lamond AI . Assembly of snRNP-containing coiled bodies is regulated in interphase and mitosis--evidence that the coiled body is a kinetic nuclear structure . J. Cell Biol. . 120 . 4 . 841–52 . 1993 . 7679389 . 2200076 . 10.1083/jcb.120.4.841 .
• Robertson NG, Khetarpal U, Gutiérrez-Espeleta GA, Bieber FR, Morton CC . Isolation of novel and known genes from a human fetal cochlear cDNA library using subtractive hybridization and differential screening . Genomics . 23 . 1 . 42–50 . 1995 . 7829101 . 10.1006/geno.1994.1457 .
• Kusuda J, Tanuma R, Gotoh E, Toyoda A, Hashimoto K . Assignment of a human autoimmune antigen, p80-coilin gene to chromosome 17q21-q23 and of its possible pseudogene to chromosome 14 . Hum. Genet. . 95 . 2 . 233–4 . 1995 . 7860074 . 10.1007/BF00209411 . 20006429 .
• Lyon CE, Bohmann K, Sleeman J, Lamond AI . Inhibition of protein dephosphorylation results in the accumulation of splicing snRNPs and coiled bodies within the nucleolus . Exp. Cell Res. . 230 . 1 . 84–93 . 1997 . 9013710 . 10.1006/excr.1996.3380 .
• Parfenov VN, Davis DS, Pochukalina GN, Kostyuchek D, Murti KG . Dynamics of distribution of splicing components relative to the transcriptional state of human oocytes from antral follicles . J. Cell. Biochem. . 69 . 1 . 72–80 . 1998 . 9513048 . 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4644(19980401)69:1<72::AID-JCB8>3.0.CO;2-S . 29105448 .
• Pochukalina GN, Davis DS, Kostiuchek DF, Murti KG, Parfenov VN . [Splicing factors in oocyte nuclei from human antral follicles] . Tsitologiia . 40 . 4 . 239–47 . 1998 . 9644758 .
• Isaac C, Yang Y, Meier UT . Nopp140 functions as a molecular link between the nucleolus and the coiled bodies . J. Cell Biol. . 142 . 2 . 319–29 . 1998 . 9679133 . 2133063 . 10.1083/jcb.142.2.319 .
• Liu J, Hebert MD, Ye Y, Templeton DJ, Kung H, Matera AG . Cell cycle-dependent localization of the CDK2-cyclin E complex in Cajal (coiled) bodies . J. Cell Sci. . 113 . 9 . 1543–52 . 2000 . 10.1242/jcs.113.9.1543 . 10751146 .
• Hebert MD, Matera AG . Self-association of coilin reveals a common theme in nuclear body localization . Mol. Biol. Cell . 11 . 12 . 4159–71 . 2001 . 11102515 . 15064 . 10.1091/mbc.11.12.4159 .
• Young PJ, Le TT, Dunckley M, Nguyen TM, Burghes AH, Morris GE . Nuclear gems and Cajal (coiled) bodies in fetal tissues: nucleolar distribution of the spinal muscular atrophy protein, SMN . Exp. Cell Res. . 265 . 2 . 252–61 . 2001 . 11302690 . 10.1006/excr.2001.5186 .
• Hebert MD, Szymczyk PW, Shpargel KB, Matera AG . Coilin forms the bridge between Cajal bodies and SMN, the spinal muscular atrophy protein . Genes Dev. . 15 . 20 . 2720–9 . 2001 . 11641277 . 312817 . 10.1101/gad.908401 .
• Andersen JS, Lyon CE, Fox AH, Leung AK, Lam YW, Steen H, Mann M, Lamond AI . Directed proteomic analysis of the human nucleolus . Curr. Biol. . 12 . 1 . 1–11 . 2002 . 11790298 . 10.1016/S0960-9822(01)00650-9 . 14132033 . free . 2002CBio...12....1A .
• Sleeman JE, Ajuh P, Lamond AI . snRNP protein expression enhances the formation of Cajal bodies containing p80-coilin and SMN . J. Cell Sci. . 114 . Pt 24 . 4407–19 . 2002 . 10.1242/jcs.114.24.4407 . 11792806 .
• Hebert MD, Shpargel KB, Ospina JK, Tucker KE, Matera AG . Coilin methylation regulates nuclear body formation . Dev. Cell . 3 . 3 . 329–37 . 2002 . 12361597 . 10.1016/S1534-5807(02)00222-8 . free .
• Shpargel KB, Ospina JK, Tucker KE, Matera AG, Hebert MD . Control of Cajal body number is mediated by the coilin C-terminus . J. Cell Sci. . 116 . Pt 2 . 303–12 . 2003 . 12482916 . 10.1242/jcs.00211 . 24967810 .
• Sleeman JE, Trinkle-Mulcahy L, Prescott AR, Ogg SC, Lamond AI . Cajal body proteins SMN and Coilin show differential dynamic behaviour in vivo . J. Cell Sci. . 116 . Pt 10 . 2039–50 . 2004 . 12679382 . 10.1242/jcs.00400 . 9085320 .
• Hearst SM, Gilder AS, Negi SS, Davis MD, George EM, Whittom AA, Toyota CG, Husedzinovic A, Gruss OJ, Hebert MD . Cajal-body formation correlates with differential coilin phosphorylation in primary and transformed cell lines . J. Cell Sci. . 122 . Pt 11 . 1872–81 . 2009 . 19435804 . 2684838 . 10.1242/jcs.044040 .

Notes and References

1. Chan EK, Takano S, Andrade LE, Hamel JC, Matera AG . Structure, expression and chromosomal localization of human p80-coilin gene . Nucleic Acids Res . 22 . 21 . 4462–9 . Dec 1994 . 7971277 . 308480 . 10.1093/nar/22.21.4462 .
2. Web site: Entrez Gene: COIL coilin.
3. Hong S, Ka S, Kim S, Park Y, Kang S . p80 coilin, a coiled body-specific protein, interacts with ataxin-1, the SCA1 gene product . Biochim. Biophys. Acta . 1638 . 1 . 35–42 . May 2003 . 12757932 . 10.1016/s0925-4439(03)00038-3. free .
4. Hong S, Lee S, Cho SG, Kang S . UbcH6 interacts with and ubiquitinates the SCA1 gene product ataxin-1 . Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. . 371 . 2 . 256–60 . Jun 2008 . 18439907 . 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.04.066 .
5. Isaac C, Yang Y, Meier UT . Nopp140 functions as a molecular link between the nucleolus and the coiled bodies . J. Cell Biol. . 142 . 2 . 319–29 . Jul 1998 . 9679133 . 2133063 . 10.1083/jcb.142.2.319.
6. Hebert MD, Shpargel KB, Ospina JK, Tucker KE, Matera AG . Coilin methylation regulates nuclear body formation . Dev. Cell . 3 . 3 . 329–37 . Sep 2002 . 12361597 . 10.1016/s1534-5807(02)00222-8. free .
7. Hebert MD, Szymczyk PW, Shpargel KB, Matera AG . Coilin forms the bridge between Cajal bodies and SMN, the spinal muscular atrophy protein . Genes Dev. . 15 . 20 . 2720–9 . Oct 2001 . 11641277 . 312817 . 10.1101/gad.908401 .