A survival motor neuron (SMN) orthologue has been identified and characterized in Schizosaccharomyces pombe [, ]. It is part of the SMN complex, which catalyzes the assembly of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), the building blocks of the spliceosome, and thereby plays an important role in the splicing of cellular pre-mRNAs [, ]. Interestingly, Smn is not present in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Orthologues of this gene in fungi seem to be present predominately in filamentous fungi [].
GEMIN8 proteins are found in the nuclear bodies called gems (Gemini of Cajal bodies) that are often in proximity to Cajal (coiled) bodies themselves. They are also found in the cytoplasm []. The family is part of the SMN (survival motor neurone) complex that plays an essential role in spliceosomal snRNP assembly in the cytoplasm and is required for pre-mRNA splicing in the nucleus. GEMIN8 binds directly to SMN1 and mediates the interaction of the GEMIN6-GEMIN7 heterodimer [].
