The structure of the ASAP core complex reveals the existence of a Pinin-containing PSAP complex

The ASAP complex interacts with the exon-junction complex (EJC), a messenger ribonucleoprotein complex involved in post-transcriptional regulation. The three ASAP subunits (Acinus, RNPS1 and SAP18) have been individually implicated in transcriptional regulation, pre-mRNA splicing and mRNA quality control. To shed LIGHT on the basis for and consequences of ASAP's interaction with the EJC, we have determined the 1.9-Å resolution structure of a eukaryotic ASAP core complex. The RNA-recognition motif of RNPS1 binds to a conserved motif of Acinus with a recognition mode similar to that observed in splicing U2AF proteins. The Acinus-RNPS1 platform recruits the ubiquitin-like domain of SAP18, forming a ternary complex that has both RNA- and protein-binding properties. Unexpectedly, our structural analysis identified an Acinus-like motif in Pinin, another EJC-associated splicing factor. We show that Pinin physically interacts with RNPS1 and SAP18, forming an alternative ternary complex, PSAP.