tRNA Splicing Endonuclease 15 (TSEN15)

tRNA splicing is a fundamental process required for cell growth and division. SEN15 is a subunit of the tRNA splicing endonuclease, which catalyzes the removal of introns, the first step in tRNA splicing .

The deduced protein contains more than 197 amino acids. Northern blot analysis detected a 2.1-kb transcript in all tissues examined, with highest expression in testis and uterus.SEN15 contains 171 amino acids and shares a high degree of similarity with yeast Sen15. It had an apparent molecular mass of 18 kD by SDS-PAGE.This enzyme consists of SEN2, SEN34, SEN15, and SEN54, homologs of the yeast tRNA endonuclease subunits. Additionally, an alternatively spliced variant of SEN2 is part of a complex with unique RNA endonuclease activity.