%0 Journal Article %J BioEssays %D 1997 %T Genetic depletion reveals an essential role for an SR protein splicing factor in vertebrate cells %A Mount, Stephen M. %X SR proteins are essential for the splicing of messenger RNA precursors in vitro, where they also alter splice site selection in a concentration-dependent manner. Although experiments involving overexpression or dominant mutations have confirmed that these proteins can influence RNA processing decisions in vivo, similar results with loss-of-function mutations have been lacking. Now, a system for genetic depletion of the chicken B cell line DT40 has revealed that the SR protein ASF/SF2 (alternative splicing factor/splicing factor 2) is essential for viability in these cells(1). This study opens the way for a complete functional dissection of this protein, and other SR proteins, in vivo. %B BioEssays %V 19 %P 189 - 192 %8 1997/// %@ 1521-1878 %G eng %U http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bies.950190302/abstract %N 3 %R 10.1002/bies.950190302