Through a genetic screen to search for factors
that interact with Prp17/Cdc40p, a protein involved in
both cell cycle progression and pre-mRNA splicing, we identify
three novel factors, which we call Syf1p, Syf2p, and Syf3
(SYnthetic lethal with cdc Forty). Here
we present evidence that all three proteins are spliceosome
associated, that they associate weakly or transiently with
U6 and U5 snRNAs, and that Syf1p and Syf3p (also known
as Clf1p) are required for pre-mRNA splicing. In addition
we show that depletion of Syf1p or Syf3p results in cell
cycle arrest at the G2/M transition. Thus, like Prp17/Cdc40p,
Syf1p and Syf3p are involved in two distinct cellular processes.
We discuss the likelihood that Syf1p, Syf2p, and Syf3p
are components of a protein complex that assembles into
spliceosomes and also regulates cell cycle progression.