CWC27 (also known as NY-CO-10 and SDCCAG10) is a nuclear, spliceosome-associated protein of the cyclophilin-type peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) family. It has an N-terminal cyclophilin-like domain followed by a long disordered, partly coiled-coil C-terminal region. Although it belongs to the cyclophilin family, the CWC27 cyclophilin domain is a degenerate (catalytically inactive) pseudo-enzyme: it carries a glutamate in place of a conserved active-site residue and shows no detectable peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity and no cyclosporin binding. Functionally, CWC27 is a structural/scaffold component of the spliceosome. It is recruited during spliceosome activation as part of the activated Bact complex of the major (U2-type) spliceosome and is among the first factors released during the Bact-to-B* transition; it is also a component of the activated minor (U12-type) spliceosome, contributing to splicing of U12-type introns. In the major spliceosome the endonuclease-like domain of PRP8 contacts CWC27, and CWC27 works with its partner CWC22 in pre-mRNA splicing and exon junction complex deposition. Biallelic loss-of-function variants in CWC27 cause autosomal-recessive retinitis pigmentosa with or without skeletal and other developmental anomalies (RPSKA), underscoring its essential role in pre-mRNA splicing.
| GO Term | Evidence | Action | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
|
GO:0071013
catalytic step 2 spliceosome
|
IBA
GO_REF:0000033 |
KEEP AS NON CORE |
Summary: Phylogenetic (IBA) inference that CWC27 is part of the catalytic step 2 spliceosome, transferred across the Cwc27 ortholog tree. CWC27 is genuinely a spliceosome component, but cryo-EM evidence places it specifically in the activated Bact (U2-type precatalytic-to-activated) stage, from which it is released before the step 2 (C*) reaction.
Reason: CWC27 is correctly a spliceosomal component, so the broad family-level placement in a catalytic spliceosome is not wrong. However, structural studies show CWC27/NY-CO-10 is recruited to the activated Bact complex and released during the Bact-to-B* transition, so it is not specifically a step 2 catalytic spliceosome factor. Retained as a non-core membership term; the more precise activated-spliceosome terms (GO:0071005, GO:0005681) better capture its role.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:29360106
the late Bact complex no longer contains the splicing factors RNF113A (Cwc24 in yeast) and NY-CO-10 (Cwc27 in yeast)
|
|
GO:0005634
nucleus
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000120 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Automated (IEA) annotation of nuclear localization, consistent with CWC27's role as a spliceosomal protein and with UniProt's curated subcellular location (Nucleus).
Reason: Nuclear localization is well supported. UniProt records the subcellular location as Nucleus, and CWC27 is a component of nuclear spliceosomal complexes. More specific nucleoplasm annotations (GO:0005654) are also present.
Supporting Evidence:
file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Nucleus {ECO:0000305|PubMed:29360106}.
|
|
GO:0006457
protein folding
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000002 |
MARK AS OVER ANNOTATED |
Summary: InterPro2GO (IEA) transfer of protein folding based solely on the cyclophilin-type PPIase InterPro signature (IPR020892). This is a family-level inference that assumes foldase/chaperone activity from domain membership.
Reason: CWC27 is a demonstrated catalytically inactive pseudo-PPIase: it shows no peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity and no cyclosporin binding, and UniProt curates it as a "Probable inactive peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase" with a CAUTION. The InterPro2GO "protein folding" transfer ignores the loss of catalytic residues and therefore over-annotates a foldase/chaperone function that CWC27 does not possess. There is no evidence CWC27 catalyzes or assists protein folding.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:20676357
No binding was detected for PPIL2, PPIL6, or SDCCAG-10, making these, to our knowledge, the first set of human cyclophilins that have been found incompetent to ligate cyclosporin
file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
Despite the fact that it belongs to the cyclophilin-type PPIase family, a report has shown that it has probably no peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity.
file:human/CWC27/CWC27-deep-research-falcon.md
This loss of catalytic function is directly attributable to the Glu122 substitution in the active site, which renders the enzyme incompetent for proline isomerization
|
|
GO:0000398
mRNA splicing, via spliceosome
|
NAS
PMID:29360106 Structure of the human activated spliceosome in three confor... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: NAS annotation (ComplexPortal) that CWC27 functions in pre-mRNA splicing via the spliceosome, based on its presence in the activated major spliceosome.
Reason: mRNA splicing via the spliceosome is the core biological process of CWC27. CWC27/NY-CO-10 is a component of the activated (Bact) major spliceosome resolved by cryo-EM, and biallelic loss of function causes a Mendelian disease consistent with impaired splicing. As a non-catalytic scaffold, CWC27 also forms a heterodimer with CWC22 that the falcon deep research describes as a landing platform coupling spliceosome activation to eIF4A3/exon junction complex recruitment, consistent with its splicing role.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:29360106
the late Bact complex no longer contains the splicing factors RNF113A (Cwc24 in yeast) and NY-CO-10 (Cwc27 in yeast)
file:human/CWC27/CWC27-deep-research-falcon.md
A critical function of CWC27 is its formation of a heterodimer with CWC22, another spliceosomal protein
|
|
GO:0000398
mRNA splicing, via spliceosome
|
NAS
PMID:33509932 Structure of the activated human minor spliceosome. |
ACCEPT |
Summary: NAS annotation (ComplexPortal) that CWC27 functions in pre-mRNA splicing, based on its presence in the activated human minor (U12-type) spliceosome.
Reason: CWC27 is a component of the activated minor spliceosome that splices U12-type introns, directly supporting its involvement in mRNA splicing via the spliceosome.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:33509932
The minor spliceosome mediates splicing of the rare but essential U12-type precursor messenger RNA.
|
|
GO:0005681
spliceosomal complex
|
IPI
PMID:39068178 Molecular basis for the activation of human spliceosome. |
ACCEPT |
Summary: IPI annotation (ComplexPortal) placing CWC27 as part of the spliceosomal complex, based on identification within activation-stage spliceosome structures.
Reason: Spliceosome membership is directly and unambiguously supported by cryo-EM structures of the human spliceosome capturing the activation pathway (pre-Bact through post-Bact). This is a core cellular-component annotation for CWC27.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:39068178
intermediate states between the B and B* complexes: pre-Bact, Bact-I, Bact-II, Bact-III, Bact-IV, and post-Bact
|
|
GO:0071018
U12-type catalytic step 2 spliceosome
|
IPI
PMID:33509932 Structure of the activated human minor spliceosome. |
KEEP AS NON CORE |
Summary: IPI annotation placing CWC27 as part of the U12-type (minor) catalytic step 2 spliceosome, based on the cryo-EM structure of the activated human minor spliceosome.
Reason: CWC27 is a genuine component of the activated minor spliceosome, so minor (U12-type) spliceosome membership is correct. Retained as non-core: as in the major spliceosome, CWC27 associates with the activated complex and the precise catalytic-step-2 placement is a curated mapping of the resolved minor spliceosome state rather than evidence of a step 2 catalytic role for CWC27.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:33509932
Here, we report the atomic features of the activated human minor spliceosome determined by cryo-electron microscopy at 2.9-angstrom resolution.
|
|
GO:0005654
nucleoplasm
|
IDA
GO_REF:0000052 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: IDA annotation (HPA immunofluorescence) localizing CWC27 to the nucleoplasm.
Reason: Nucleoplasmic localization is consistent with CWC27's role as a spliceosomal protein and with the curated UniProt nuclear localization. Direct immunofluorescence evidence supports this subcellular component.
Supporting Evidence:
file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Nucleus {ECO:0000305|PubMed:29360106}.
|
|
GO:0000398
mRNA splicing, via spliceosome
|
IC
PMID:29360106 Structure of the human activated spliceosome in three confor... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: IC annotation inferring involvement in mRNA splicing from membership in the U2-type precatalytic/activated spliceosome (GO:0071005).
Reason: A sound curator inference: CWC27 is a structural component of the activated major spliceosome, so it is reasonably inferred to be involved in mRNA splicing via the spliceosome, the core process for this protein.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:29360106
the late Bact complex no longer contains the splicing factors RNF113A (Cwc24 in yeast) and NY-CO-10 (Cwc27 in yeast)
|
|
GO:0071005
U2-type precatalytic spliceosome
|
IDA
PMID:29360106 Structure of the human activated spliceosome in three confor... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: IDA annotation placing CWC27 in the U2-type (major) precatalytic/activated spliceosome, based on the cryo-EM structure of the human activated spliceosome.
Reason: This is the most precisely evidenced cellular-component annotation for CWC27. Cryo-EM directly visualizes NY-CO-10 (CWC27) in the activated major (Bact) spliceosome, with the PRP8 endonuclease-like domain contacting it, and shows it is released during the Bact-to-B* transition. The falcon deep research adds the mechanistic detail that release is driven by the DEAH-box helicase PRP2 (with SPP2), which during the Bact-to-B* transition triggers dissociation of CWC27 along with the SF3a/SF3b and RES complexes.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:29360106
the late Bact complex no longer contains the splicing factors RNF113A (Cwc24 in yeast) and NY-CO-10 (Cwc27 in yeast)
file:human/CWC27/CWC27-deep-research-falcon.md
The DEAH-box helicase PRP2, assisted by its co-activator SPP2, pulls on the 3' end of the intron, leading to dissociation of the SF3a/SF3b complexes, RES complex, and importantly, both CWC24 and CWC27
|
|
GO:0003755
peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity
|
IDA
NOT
PMID:20676357 Structural and biochemical characterization of the human cyc... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Negated (NOT) IDA annotation recording that CWC27 (SDCCAG-10) does NOT have peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity, based on direct biochemical assay showing no tetrapeptide isomerase activity and no cyclosporin binding.
Reason: This negated annotation correctly captures the experimental finding that CWC27 is a catalytically inactive pseudo-PPIase. Davis et al. found SDCCAG-10 (CWC27) incompetent for both cyclosporin binding and tetrapeptide isomerase activity, attributable to a glutamate substitution at a conserved active-site position. The NOT annotation should be retained as it documents the absence of the family-expected catalytic activity.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:20676357
No binding was detected for PPIL2, PPIL6, or SDCCAG-10, making these, to our knowledge, the first set of human cyclophilins that have been found incompetent to ligate cyclosporin
|
|
GO:0005654
nucleoplasm
|
TAS
Reactome:R-HSA-9770131 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: TAS annotation (Reactome, Formation of the Spliceosomal B* complex) localizing CWC27 to the nucleoplasm.
Reason: Nucleoplasmic localization is consistent with CWC27's spliceosomal function and with the curated UniProt nuclear localization and HPA immunofluorescence evidence.
Supporting Evidence:
file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Nucleus {ECO:0000305|PubMed:29360106}.
|
|
GO:0005654
nucleoplasm
|
TAS
Reactome:R-HSA-9770145 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: TAS annotation (Reactome, Formation of the Spliceosomal Bact complex) localizing CWC27 to the nucleoplasm.
Reason: Consistent with CWC27's recruitment into the activated Bact spliceosome in the nucleoplasm; supported by curated nuclear localization and immunofluorescence.
Supporting Evidence:
file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Nucleus {ECO:0000305|PubMed:29360106}.
|
|
GO:0005654
nucleoplasm
|
TAS
Reactome:R-HSA-9921507 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: TAS annotation (Reactome, NS5 interacts with Spliceosome) localizing CWC27 to the nucleoplasm.
Reason: Nucleoplasmic localization is well supported for this spliceosomal protein. The annotation derives from a Reactome pathway in which the spliceosome (with CWC27) resides in the nucleoplasm.
Supporting Evidence:
file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Nucleus {ECO:0000305|PubMed:29360106}.
|
|
GO:0000398
mRNA splicing, via spliceosome
|
IC
PMID:11991638 Purification and characterization of native spliceosomes sui... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: IC annotation inferring involvement in mRNA splicing from CWC27's presence in native purified spliceosomes (catalytic step 2 / C-complex-enriched).
Reason: CWC27 is detected in native purified spliceosomes, supporting the inference that it participates in mRNA splicing via the spliceosome, its core process.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:11991638
These spliceosomes consist largely of C complex containing splicing
|
|
GO:0071013
catalytic step 2 spliceosome
|
IDA
PMID:11991638 Purification and characterization of native spliceosomes sui... |
KEEP AS NON CORE |
Summary: IDA annotation placing CWC27 in the catalytic step 2 spliceosome, based on its identification in native purified C-complex-enriched spliceosomes.
Reason: CWC27 was detected in native purified spliceosome preparations enriched for C complex, supporting spliceosome membership. However, higher-resolution cryo-EM work later localized CWC27/NY-CO-10 specifically to the activated Bact stage, from which it is released before step 2 catalysis. The catalytic step 2 placement reflects the bulk composition of the purified preparation rather than a specific step 2 role, so it is retained as a non-core membership term.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:11991638
These spliceosomes consist largely of C complex containing splicing
PMID:29360106
the late Bact complex no longer contains the splicing factors RNF113A (Cwc24 in yeast) and NY-CO-10 (Cwc27 in yeast)
|
Q: Does the catalytically dead cyclophilin domain of CWC27 retain a substrate-binding or proline-recognition function within the spliceosome that contributes to splice site fidelity, even in the absence of isomerase catalysis?
Q: How does the CWC27-CWC22 module mechanistically couple spliceosome activation to positioning of eIF4A3/the exon junction complex, and which step of EJC deposition requires CWC27?
Q: Why do CWC27 loss-of-function variants produce a retina-predominant phenotype (RPSKA) despite ubiquitous expression and an essential splicing role?
Experiment: Structure-guided mutagenesis of the degenerate active-site residue(s) (e.g., the Glu at the position equivalent to PPIA Trp121) combined with rescue assays in CWC27-null cells to test whether restoring a canonical cyclophilin active site confers PPIase activity and/or alters splicing.
Experiment: Transcriptome-wide splicing analysis (RNA-seq/junction analysis) in CWC27-depleted cells, with emphasis on U12-type minor introns and retina-expressed transcripts, to define the set of introns dependent on CWC27.
Experiment: Cross-linking/proteomics and cryo-EM of the CWC27-CWC22 sub-complex bound to eIF4A3 to map the interface and test the model that CWC27 positions the EJC core for deposition during splicing.
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CWC27 (gene symbol: CWC27, UniProt: Q6UX04) encodes the spliceosome-associated protein CWC27 homolog in humans (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 1-3). The protein is also known by several alternative names, including SDCCAG10 (Serologically Defined Colon Cancer Antigen 10), NY-CO-10, and Cyp54 (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 1-3, jurkova2026humancyclophilins—anemerging pages 1-2). CWC27 belongs to the cyclophilin-type peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) family and is classified among the eight human nuclear cyclophilins, also referred to as "spliceophilins" due to their association with the spliceosome (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 1-3).
The CWC27 protein consists of two distinct structural regions: an N-terminal cyclophilin-like domain (CLD) containing the characteristic PPIase fold, and a large C-terminal region composed of low-complexity, repetitive sequences (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 1-3, rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14). The N-terminal domain (~183 amino acids) adopts the canonical cyclophilin fold characterized by eight antiparallel β-sheets and two α-helices (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 1-3). In contrast, the C-terminal extension (approximately 200 residues) is elongated, solvent-exposed, and largely unstructured, with its detailed function remaining incompletely characterized (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4).
The cyclophilin-like domain contains the conserved proline-binding pocket characteristic of the cyclophilin family. However, structural analysis reveals that CWC27 has undergone a critical substitution in the active site. While canonical cyclophilins possess a tryptophan residue (Trp121 in the reference cyclophilin PPIA) that is essential for catalytic activity, CWC27 harbors a glutamic acid substitution at position 122 (Glu122) in the S1 proline-binding pocket (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14, davis2010structuralandbiochemical pages 3-4). This substitution is key to understanding CWC27's non-catalytic function.
Despite belonging to the cyclophilin family, CWC27 is catalytically inactive as a peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (davis2010structuralandbiochemical pages 1-2, davis2010structuralandbiochemical pages 3-4, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4). Comprehensive biochemical characterization of the human cyclophilin family demonstrated that CWC27 (SDCCAG10) lacks measurable PPIase activity against standard tetrapeptide substrates, a finding that distinguishes it from most other cyclophilins (davis2010structuralandbiochemical pages 1-2, davis2010structuralandbiochemical pages 3-4). This loss of catalytic function is directly attributable to the Glu122 substitution in the active site, which renders the enzyme incompetent for proline isomerization (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14).
While CWC27 cannot catalyze prolyl isomerization, it retains the ability to bind proline-containing peptides (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4). This preserved binding capacity, despite loss of catalytic activity, suggests that CWC27 functions primarily through protein-protein interactions rather than enzymatic catalysis (breafernandez2019expandingtheclinical pages 1-3, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4). Family-wide ligand binding studies confirm that CWC27 does not bind cyclosporin A (CsA), the canonical cyclophilin inhibitor, consistent with its altered active site architecture (davis2010structuralandbiochemical pages 3-4).
CWC27 is localized to the nucleus and cytosol, with its primary functional activity occurring in the nuclear compartment (jurkova2026humancyclophilins—anemerging pages 1-2). Consistent with other nuclear cyclophilins involved in splicing, CWC27 localizes to nuclear speckles, subnuclear domains enriched in splicing factors and pre-mRNA processing machinery (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 1-3). This nuclear localization is essential for its role in pre-mRNA splicing and spliceosome function.
CWC27 functions as a splicing factor within the major spliceosome, the large ribonucleoprotein complex responsible for removing introns from precursor messenger RNAs (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 1-3, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2, wan2020howisprecursor pages 1-2). The spliceosome undergoes dynamic assembly through sequential stages: assembly (E, A, pre-B, B complexes), activation (Bact complex), catalysis (B, C, C complexes), and disassembly (P, ILS complexes) (wan2020howisprecursor pages 1-2). CWC27 is specifically enriched in the activated Bact spliceosome and is present with moderate abundance in the C complex, but is released prior to the stable formation of the B* complex (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14, zhan2024molecularbasisfor pages 1-2, wan2020howisprecursor pages 8-10).
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of human spliceosomes at near-atomic resolution have revealed the precise positioning of CWC27 within the Bact complex (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14, zhan2024molecularbasisfor pages 1-2, schmitzova2023structuralbasisof pages 1-2). In these structures, the cyclophilin-like domain of CWC27 makes contacts with several spliceosomal components, including PRPF8 (a central scaffolding protein), BUD31, RNF113 (RING finger protein 113), and U5 snRNP 200 kDa helicase (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14). These interactions position CWC27 at the spliceosome surface where it can coordinate recruitment and remodeling of additional factors during activation.
A critical function of CWC27 is its formation of a heterodimer with CWC22, another spliceosomal protein (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4, schlautmann2020adayin pages 3-5). The CWC27–CWC22 complex serves as a landing platform for recruiting eIF4A3, the DEAD-box RNA helicase that forms the core of the exon junction complex (EJC) (schlautmann2020adayin pages 1-3, schlautmann2020adayin pages 3-5). The EJC is a multi-protein complex deposited on mRNAs approximately 20-24 nucleotides upstream of exon-exon junctions following splicing, and it plays essential roles in downstream mRNA metabolism including export, translation, and nonsense-mediated decay (schlautmann2020adayin pages 1-3).
The sequential recruitment model proposes that CWC22 initially binds to the spliceosome alone, followed by CWC27 association to form the CWC27/CWC22 heterodimer, which then recruits eIF4A3 (schlautmann2020adayin pages 3-5). Following eIF4A3 recruitment, CWC27 dissociates from the spliceosome before complete EJC assembly, as its continued presence would sterically clash with RBM8A, another EJC core component (schlautmann2020adayin pages 3-5). This step-wise assembly pathway highlights CWC27's role as a transient assembly factor rather than a permanent spliceosome component.
During the transition from the pre-catalytic B complex to the catalytically activated B* complex, the spliceosome undergoes extensive remodeling driven by ATP-dependent RNA helicases (wan2020howisprecursor pages 1-2, zhan2024molecularbasisfor pages 1-2, schmitzova2023structuralbasisof pages 1-2). CWC27 participates in this critical activation stage. Structural studies from 2023-2024 have provided detailed molecular choreography of this process. In the Bact complex, the branch site (BS) of the pre-mRNA is sequestered approximately 50 Å away from the 5' splice site and shielded by proteins including CWC27 (schmitzova2023structuralbasisof pages 1-2, wan2020howisprecursor pages 8-10). The DEAH-box helicase PRP2, assisted by its co-activator SPP2, pulls on the 3' end of the intron, leading to dissociation of the SF3a/SF3b complexes, RES complex, and importantly, both CWC24 and CWC27 (schmitzova2023structuralbasisof pages 1-2, wan2020howisprecursor pages 8-10). This remodeling allows the branch site to move into proximity with the 5' splice site for catalysis.
Recent 2024 studies capturing six intermediate states between B and B* complexes (pre-Bact, Bact-I, Bact-II, Bact-III, Bact-IV, and post-Bact) demonstrate that CWC27 is present in earlier Bact states but absent in later post-Bact intermediates, confirming its release during this critical transition (zhan2024molecularbasisfor pages 1-2).
While CWC27's role in splicing was inferred from in vitro biochemical studies and structural analyses, direct in vivo validation came from studies of a mouse model carrying a frameshift mutation (Cwc27K338fs/K338fs) (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 4-6, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4). This mouse model exhibits progressive retinal degeneration, with retinal dysfunction detectable by electroretinography at 3 months of age and photoreceptor loss evident at 4 months (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4).
RNA-sequencing analysis of the Cwc27K338fs/K338fs mouse retina provided the first direct evidence that CWC27 functions as a splicing factor in vivo (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 4-6). Compared to wild-type controls, the mutant retina exhibited 257 differential splicing events, with the most abundant defects being intron retention followed by exon skipping (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 4-6). These splicing pattern changes are consistent with those observed in other splicing factor-associated disease models, including retinitis pigmentosa caused by mutations in PRPF31, PRPF8, and other core spliceosomal components (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2).
Gene ontology analysis revealed that differentially spliced genes in the mutant retina were enriched for visual physiology pathways and included several inherited retinal disease genes such as Cnga1 (cyclic nucleotide-gated channel alpha 1), Prpf6 (pre-mRNA processing factor 6), and Rpgrip1 (retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator interacting protein 1) (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 4-6). Single-cell RNA-sequencing demonstrated that rod photoreceptors and Müller glial cells showed the largest number of differentially expressed genes, with rod photoreceptors exhibiting downregulation of mitochondrial transcripts and Müller cells showing upregulation of inflammatory genes (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 4-6).
The mouse model studies suggest that CWC27 loss leads to aberrant splicing, which in turn activates endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways, as evidenced by positive CHOP staining in the mutant retina (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 4-6). This ER stress response likely contributes to the progressive photoreceptor degeneration observed in the model. Importantly, the disease mechanism appears to stem from defective splicing rather than loss of cyclophilin enzymatic activity, given that CWC27 lacks PPIase activity (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4).
Biallelic deleterious variants in CWC27 cause a rare autosomal recessive condition classified as a spliceosomopathy (griffin2020spliceosomopathiesdiseasesand pages 1-7, breafernandez2019expandingtheclinical pages 1-3). The phenotypic spectrum includes retinal degeneration/retinitis pigmentosa as the cardinal feature, along with variable additional manifestations such as short stature, skeletal anomalies (including brachydactyly), neurological defects, hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, dental anomalies, and cataracts (griffin2020spliceosomopathiesdiseasesand pages 1-7, breafernandez2019expandingtheclinical pages 1-3).
CWC27-related disorders belong to the broader category of spliceosomopathies, diseases caused by mutations in genes encoding spliceosome components (griffin2020spliceosomopathiesdiseasesand pages 1-7). A striking feature of spliceosomopathies is their tissue specificity despite the ubiquitous expression of spliceosomal proteins. For example, mutations in PRPF31, PRPF8, PRPF6, and SNRNP200 predominantly cause retinitis pigmentosa, while mutations in other spliceosomal genes cause myelodysplastic syndromes or craniofacial disorders such as mandibulofacial dysostosis (griffin2020spliceosomopathiesdiseasesand pages 1-7). The mechanisms underlying this tissue specificity remain an active area of investigation, but likely involve differential sensitivity of specific cell types to splicing perturbations, with photoreceptors being particularly vulnerable (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2, griffin2020spliceosomopathiesdiseasesand pages 1-7).
Major advances in understanding CWC27 function have come from recent cryo-EM structural studies. Schmitzová et al. (2023) reported structures of the BAQR spliceosome, an intermediate stalled between PRP2 and Aquarius helicase actions, providing unprecedented detail on CWC27's interactions during catalytic activation (schmitzova2023structuralbasisof pages 1-2). Zhan et al. (2024) captured six distinct intermediate states of the human Bact complex, revealing the molecular choreography of spliceosome activation and the ordered flux of components including CWC27 (zhan2024molecularbasisfor pages 1-2).
Rogalska et al. (2024) conducted transcriptome-wide analysis of splicing networks following systematic knockdown of 305 spliceosome components and regulators in human cancer cells. This study revealed that CWC27 knockdown, which links to exon junction complex assembly, produces specific splicing regulatory effects, confirming its specialized function within the core spliceosome machinery.
A comprehensive 2026 review by Jurkova et al. discusses human cyclophilins as an emerging class of drug targets (jurkova2026humancyclophilins—anemerging pages 1-2, jurkova2026humancyclophilins—anemerging pages 9-11). While CWC27's lack of PPIase activity makes it an unlikely target for traditional cyclophilin inhibitors like cyclosporin derivatives, understanding its role in splicing could inform therapeutic strategies for CWC27-related spliceosomopathies and potentially for modulating splicing in other disease contexts.
| Category | Finding for human CWC27 | Evidence / details | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene identity | CWC27 is the approved human gene; major aliases include SDCCAG10, NY-CO-10, serologically defined colon cancer antigen 10, and Cyp54 | Matches the requested UniProt-centered identity and the spliceosome-associated cyclophilin literature | (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 1-3, jurkova2026humancyclophilins—anemerging pages 1-2) |
| Protein family | Nuclear cyclophilin-type spliceosome-associated protein | Classified among the human nuclear cyclophilins / “spliceophilins” | (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 1-3, jurkova2026humancyclophilins—anemerging pages 1-2) |
| Protein architecture | N-terminal cyclophilin/PPIase-like domain plus a large C-terminal low-complexity, repetitive, largely unstructured region | Review and disease papers describe a structured N-terminus and elongated solvent-exposed C-terminus of unknown/interaction-focused function | (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4) |
| Structural size/features | Only the isomerase-like N-terminal domain has been structurally resolved in detail in spliceosome studies; roughly ~200 C-terminal residues remain structurally uncharacterized in cryo-EM models | Cryo-EM models place the PPIase-like domain in Bact complexes, while the distal C-terminus is not resolved | (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14) |
| Enzymatic status | Catalytically inactive as a peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase | Despite cyclophilin fold membership, CWC27 lacks measurable PPIase activity | (breafernandez2019expandingtheclinical pages 1-3, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4) |
| Active-site alteration | In the S1/proline-binding pocket, canonical catalytic Trp is replaced by Glu122 | This Glu122 substitution is the key structural explanation for loss of isomerase activity | (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14) |
| Cyclosporin binding | Does not bind cyclosporin A under tested conditions | Family-wide biochemical analysis found no evidence of CsA binding for SDCCAG10/CWC27 | (davis2010structuralandbiochemical pages 3-4) |
| Substrate specificity / ligand preference | Retains the ability to bind proline-containing peptides/proline, but does not catalyze cis-trans isomerization | Literature describes preserved proline recognition despite loss of catalytic turnover; likely supports interaction-based rather than enzymatic function | (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14, breafernandez2019expandingtheclinical pages 1-3, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4) |
| Primary molecular role | Splicing factor / spliceosome-associated scaffold rather than enzyme | Current understanding is that CWC27 contributes through protein-protein interactions during spliceosome activation and EJC recruitment | (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4, schlautmann2020adayin pages 3-5) |
| Subcellular localization | Primarily nuclear; broader cyclophilin tables also list nucleus and cytosol | Functional role is nuclear because it acts on the spliceosome during pre-mRNA splicing | (jurkova2026humancyclophilins—anemerging pages 1-2, schlautmann2020adayin pages 3-5) |
| Spliceosome stage | Enriched in the activated Bact spliceosome and present with moderate abundance in C complex; released before stable B* progression / complete EJC assembly | Structural and functional studies place CWC27 in late assembly/activation stages of the major spliceosome | (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4, wan2020howisprecursor pages 8-10) |
| Spliceosome neighborhood | In Bact, the PPIase-like domain contacts PRPF8, BUD31, RNF113, and U5 snRNP 200K in different structural states | These contacts position CWC27 at the spliceosome surface where it can coordinate factor recruitment/remodeling | (rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14) |
| Key protein-protein interaction | Forms a heterodimer with CWC22 | The CWC27–CWC22 complex is proposed to create a landing platform for EJC factor recruitment | (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4, schlautmann2020adayin pages 3-5) |
| Link to EJC assembly | Helps recruit EIF4A3 (core EJC helicase) via the CWC27/CWC22 platform | CWC27 leaves before full EJC assembly, consistent with a transient assembly-factor role | (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4, schlautmann2020adayin pages 3-5) |
| Functional pathway | Participates in pre-mRNA splicing and mechanistically links spliceosome activation to exon junction complex deposition | Places CWC27 in the broader RNA-processing pathway rather than a standalone catalytic pathway | (schlautmann2020adayin pages 1-3, schlautmann2020adayin pages 3-5, wan2020howisprecursor pages 8-10) |
| In vivo functional evidence | Mouse Cwc27 mutant retina shows 257 differential splicing events versus wild type | Most abundant defects were intron retention followed by exon skipping; supports bona fide in vivo splicing-factor function | (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 4-6) |
| Splicing-sensitive genes/examples | Differentially spliced retinal genes include Cnga1, Prpf6, and Rpgrip1 | These changes help connect CWC27 dysfunction to retinal physiology and disease | (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 4-6) |
| Disease association | Biallelic deleterious variants cause a CWC27-related spliceosomopathy with retinal degeneration/retinitis pigmentosa, short stature, skeletal anomalies, and neurological features | Human genetics and review literature consistently place retinal degeneration at the core of the phenotype spectrum | (griffin2020spliceosomopathiesdiseasesand pages 1-7, breafernandez2019expandingtheclinical pages 1-3, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4) |
| Retinal degeneration evidence | In the Cwc27K338fs/K338fs mouse, retinal dysfunction appears by 3 months and photoreceptor loss by 4 months | Provides direct in vivo support for a causal role in retinal degeneration pathogenesis | (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4) |
| Mechanistic disease interpretation | Aberrant splicing in mutant retina is associated with ER-stress/CHOP positivity and cell-type-specific transcriptomic disruption, especially in rod photoreceptors and Müller glia | Supports the view that disease arises from splicing defects rather than loss of cyclophilin enzymatic catalysis | (bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2, bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 4-6) |
Table: This table summarizes the key molecular, biochemical, cellular, and disease-related properties of human CWC27 from the cited literature. It highlights why CWC27 is best understood as a catalytically inactive spliceosomal cyclophilin that helps organize splicing and EJC recruitment, with strong links to retinal degeneration.
CWC27 represents a fascinating example of molecular evolution within the cyclophilin family. Despite lacking catalytic peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity due to a critical active site substitution (Glu122), CWC27 has been repurposed as a structural and scaffolding component of the spliceosome. Its primary function is to facilitate recruitment of the exon junction complex during pre-mRNA splicing through formation of a transient landing platform with CWC22. Loss of CWC27 function leads to widespread splicing defects, particularly intron retention and exon skipping, which cause tissue-specific pathology most prominently affecting the retina. The recent structural and functional characterization of CWC27 highlights the complexity of spliceosome assembly and the critical importance of non-catalytic factors in orchestrating this essential cellular process.
Key Research Papers (with URLs and dates):
Davis et al. (2010) - Structural and Biochemical Characterization of the Human Cyclophilin Family. PLoS Biology 8(7):e1000439. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1000439
Rajiv & Davis (2018) - Structural and Functional Insights into Human Nuclear Cyclophilins. Biomolecules 8(4):161. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom8040161
Brea-Fernández et al. (2019) - Expanding the clinical and molecular spectrum of the CWC27-related spliceosomopathy. Journal of Human Genetics 64:1133-1136. https://doi.org/10.1038/s10038-019-0664-7
Griffin & Saint-Jeannet (2020) - Spliceosomopathies: Diseases and mechanisms. Developmental Dynamics 249:1038-1046. https://doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.214
Wan et al. (2020) - How Is Precursor Messenger RNA Spliced by the Spliceosome? Annual Review of Biochemistry 89:333-358. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-013118-111024
Schlautmann & Gehring (2020) - A Day in the Life of the Exon Junction Complex. Biomolecules 10(6):866. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10060866
Bertrand et al. (2022) - Cwc27, associated with retinal degeneration, functions as a splicing factor in vivo. Human Molecular Genetics 31(8):1278-1292. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddab319
Schmitzová et al. (2023) - Structural basis of catalytic activation in human splicing. Nature 617:842-850. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06049-w (Published May 2023)
Zhan et al. (2024) - Molecular basis for the activation of human spliceosome. Nature Communications 15:6348. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50785-0 (Published July 2024)
Rogalska et al. (2024) - Transcriptome-wide splicing network reveals specialized regulatory functions of the core spliceosome. Science 386(6721):551-560. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adn8105 (Published November 2024)
Jurkova et al. (2026) - Human Cyclophilins—An Emerging Class of Drug Targets. Medicinal Research Reviews 46(2):475-512. https://doi.org/10.1002/med.70021 (Published October 2025, volume dated 2026)
References
(rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 1-3): Carol Rajiv and Tara L. Davis. Structural and functional insights into human nuclear cyclophilins. Biomolecules, Nov 2018. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom8040161, doi:10.3390/biom8040161. This article has 54 citations.
(jurkova2026humancyclophilins—anemerging pages 1-2): Katarina Jurkova, Hana Navratilova, Kamil Musilek, and Ondrej Benek. Human cyclophilins—an emerging class of drug targets. Medicinal Research Reviews, 46:475-512, Oct 2026. URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/med.70021, doi:10.1002/med.70021. This article has 1 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.
(rajiv2018structuralandfunctional pages 10-14): Carol Rajiv and Tara L. Davis. Structural and functional insights into human nuclear cyclophilins. Biomolecules, Nov 2018. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom8040161, doi:10.3390/biom8040161. This article has 54 citations.
(bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 2-4): Renae Elaine Bertrand, Jun Wang, Yumei Li, Xuesen Cheng, Keqing Wang, Peter Stoilov, and Rui Chen. Cwc27, associated with retinal degeneration, functions as a splicing factor in vivo. Human molecular genetics, 31:1278-1292, Nov 2022. URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddab319, doi:10.1093/hmg/ddab319. This article has 19 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.
(davis2010structuralandbiochemical pages 3-4): Tara L. Davis, John R. Walker, Valérie Campagna-Slater, Patrick J. Finerty, Ragika Paramanathan, Galina Bernstein, Farrell MacKenzie, Wolfram Tempel, Hui Ouyang, Wen Hwa Lee, Elan Z. Eisenmesser, and Sirano Dhe-Paganon. Structural and biochemical characterization of the human cyclophilin family of peptidyl-prolyl isomerases. PLoS Biology, 8:e1000439, Jul 2010. URL: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1000439, doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000439. This article has 385 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(davis2010structuralandbiochemical pages 1-2): Tara L. Davis, John R. Walker, Valérie Campagna-Slater, Patrick J. Finerty, Ragika Paramanathan, Galina Bernstein, Farrell MacKenzie, Wolfram Tempel, Hui Ouyang, Wen Hwa Lee, Elan Z. Eisenmesser, and Sirano Dhe-Paganon. Structural and biochemical characterization of the human cyclophilin family of peptidyl-prolyl isomerases. PLoS Biology, 8:e1000439, Jul 2010. URL: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1000439, doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000439. This article has 385 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(breafernandez2019expandingtheclinical pages 1-3): Alejandro J. Brea-Fernández, Paloma Cabanas, David Dacruz-Álvarez, Pilar Caamaño, Jacobo Limeres, and Lourdes Loidi. Expanding the clinical and molecular spectrum of the cwc27-related spliceosomopathy. Journal of Human Genetics, 64:1133-1136, Sep 2019. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s10038-019-0664-7, doi:10.1038/s10038-019-0664-7. This article has 16 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.
(bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 1-2): Renae Elaine Bertrand, Jun Wang, Yumei Li, Xuesen Cheng, Keqing Wang, Peter Stoilov, and Rui Chen. Cwc27, associated with retinal degeneration, functions as a splicing factor in vivo. Human molecular genetics, 31:1278-1292, Nov 2022. URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddab319, doi:10.1093/hmg/ddab319. This article has 19 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.
(wan2020howisprecursor pages 1-2): Ruixue Wan, Rui Bai, Xiechao Zhan, and Yigong Shi. How is precursor messenger rna spliced by the spliceosome? Jun 2020. URL: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-013118-111024, doi:10.1146/annurev-biochem-013118-111024. This article has 177 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.
(zhan2024molecularbasisfor pages 1-2): Xiechao Zhan, Yichen Lu, and Yigong Shi. Molecular basis for the activation of human spliceosome. Nature Communications, Jul 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50785-0, doi:10.1038/s41467-024-50785-0. This article has 24 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(wan2020howisprecursor pages 8-10): Ruixue Wan, Rui Bai, Xiechao Zhan, and Yigong Shi. How is precursor messenger rna spliced by the spliceosome? Jun 2020. URL: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-013118-111024, doi:10.1146/annurev-biochem-013118-111024. This article has 177 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.
(schmitzova2023structuralbasisof pages 1-2): Jana Schmitzová, Constantin Cretu, Christian Dienemann, Henning Urlaub, and Vladimir Pena. Structural basis of catalytic activation in human splicing. Nature, 617:842-850, May 2023. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06049-w, doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06049-w. This article has 70 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(schlautmann2020adayin pages 3-5): Lena P. Schlautmann and Niels H. Gehring. A day in the life of the exon junction complex. Biomolecules, 10:866, Jun 2020. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10060866, doi:10.3390/biom10060866. This article has 113 citations.
(schlautmann2020adayin pages 1-3): Lena P. Schlautmann and Niels H. Gehring. A day in the life of the exon junction complex. Biomolecules, 10:866, Jun 2020. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10060866, doi:10.3390/biom10060866. This article has 113 citations.
(bertrand2022cwc27associatedwith pages 4-6): Renae Elaine Bertrand, Jun Wang, Yumei Li, Xuesen Cheng, Keqing Wang, Peter Stoilov, and Rui Chen. Cwc27, associated with retinal degeneration, functions as a splicing factor in vivo. Human molecular genetics, 31:1278-1292, Nov 2022. URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddab319, doi:10.1093/hmg/ddab319. This article has 19 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.
(griffin2020spliceosomopathiesdiseasesand pages 1-7): Casey Griffin and Jean‐Pierre Saint‐Jeannet. Spliceosomopathies: diseases and mechanisms. Developmental Dynamics, 249:1038-1046, Jun 2020. URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.214, doi:10.1002/dvdy.214. This article has 105 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.
(jurkova2026humancyclophilins—anemerging pages 9-11): Katarina Jurkova, Hana Navratilova, Kamil Musilek, and Ondrej Benek. Human cyclophilins—an emerging class of drug targets. Medicinal Research Reviews, 46:475-512, Oct 2026. URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/med.70021, doi:10.1002/med.70021. This article has 1 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.
CWC27 is the human ortholog of yeast Cwc27 and is a spliceosome-associated protein. As part of the spliceosome it functions in pre-mRNA splicing. It is recruited during activation as a component of the activated (Bact) spliceosome and is one of the first proteins released as the spliceosome matures toward the catalytic C complex.
The PPIase/cyclophilin domain of CWC27 is almost certainly catalytically inactive (a degenerate cyclophilin / pseudo-enzyme):
- [PMID:20676357 "Structural and biochemical characterization of the human cyclophilin family of peptidyl-prolyl isomerases", "No binding was detected for PPIL2, PPIL6, or SDCCAG-10, making these ... the first set of human cyclophilins that have been found incompetent to ligate cyclosporin"]. SDCCAG-10 = CWC27.
- [PMID:20676357 Table 1: "SDCCAG-10 ... no/no" for cyclosporin binding and tetrapeptide activity]. CWC27 showed neither cyclosporin binding nor isomerase activity against tetrapeptide substrates.
- Structural basis: CWC27 has a glutamic acid (Glu122) at the position equivalent to the catalytic Trp121 of PPIA; "glutamic acid in SDCCAG10" abrogates activity, and "Glutamic acid at this position seems to be incompatible with isomerase activity" PMID:20676357. The crystal structure (PDB 2HQ6, res 8-173) underlies this conclusion.
- UniProt curates CWC27 as "Probable inactive peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase" with a CAUTION: "Despite the fact that it belongs to the cyclophilin-type PPIase family, a report has shown that it has probably no peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity" [file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt].
- Consequently the GOA carries an explicit NOT enables peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity (GO:0003755, IDA, PMID:20676357). This negated annotation should be ACCEPTed; it correctly records the experimental finding of absent catalysis.
Implication for annotations:
- The InterPro2GO IEA transfer of protein folding (GO:0006457, GO_REF:0000002) is a family-level inference based on the cyclophilin/PPIase InterPro signature. Given that CWC27 is a demonstrated pseudo-PPIase with no isomerase/chaperone catalytic activity, this is an over-annotation (paralog/family transfer that ignores the loss of catalytic residues). MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED.
CWC27 acts as a cyclophilin-fold scaffold within the spliceosome rather than as an enzyme. There is no well-fitting catalytic MF. A non-catalytic structural/scaffolding role within the spliceosome is best captured by the CC (spliceosome complex) and BP (mRNA splicing) annotations; no confident replacement MF term is proposed. Note CWC27 pairs with CWC22 to position the EJC core factor eIF4A3 for deposition (from the broader literature / biological hint); this is a scaffolding/adaptor role but not directly evidenced in the cached publications, so no new MF term is asserted.
*-deep-research*.md file found in this gene directory.Cytonuclear proteostasis | Folding enzyme | Peptidyl-prolyl isomerases | Cyclophilin type ; PN-node mapping: group AND type both mapped, scope=ok_for_propagation_to_go, GO:0003755 peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity (class/branch = no_mapping)This file is generated from the current PROTEOSTASIS phase-1 dossier and local gene-review artifacts. Edit the source review, PN mapping, or dossier rather than this generated note when correcting the underlying curation.
id: Q6UX04
gene_symbol: CWC27
product_type: PROTEIN
status: COMPLETE
taxon:
id: NCBITaxon:9606
label: Homo sapiens
description: >-
CWC27 (also known as NY-CO-10 and SDCCAG10) is a nuclear, spliceosome-associated
protein of the cyclophilin-type peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) family. It has
an N-terminal cyclophilin-like domain followed by a long disordered, partly
coiled-coil C-terminal region. Although it belongs to the cyclophilin family, the
CWC27 cyclophilin domain is a degenerate (catalytically inactive) pseudo-enzyme:
it carries a glutamate in place of a conserved active-site residue and shows no
detectable peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity and no cyclosporin binding.
Functionally, CWC27 is a structural/scaffold component of the spliceosome. It is
recruited during spliceosome activation as part of the activated Bact complex of
the major (U2-type) spliceosome and is among the first factors released during the
Bact-to-B* transition; it is also a component of the activated minor (U12-type)
spliceosome, contributing to splicing of U12-type introns. In the major
spliceosome the endonuclease-like domain of PRP8 contacts CWC27, and CWC27 works
with its partner CWC22 in pre-mRNA splicing and exon junction complex deposition.
Biallelic loss-of-function variants in CWC27 cause autosomal-recessive retinitis
pigmentosa with or without skeletal and other developmental anomalies (RPSKA),
underscoring its essential role in pre-mRNA splicing.
alternative_products:
- name: '1'
id: Q6UX04-1
- name: '2'
id: Q6UX04-2
sequence_note: VSP_030082, VSP_030083
existing_annotations:
- term:
id: GO:0071013
label: catalytic step 2 spliceosome
evidence_type: IBA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
qualifier: part_of
review:
summary: >-
Phylogenetic (IBA) inference that CWC27 is part of the catalytic step 2
spliceosome, transferred across the Cwc27 ortholog tree. CWC27 is genuinely a
spliceosome component, but cryo-EM evidence places it specifically in the
activated Bact (U2-type precatalytic-to-activated) stage, from which it is
released before the step 2 (C*) reaction.
action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
reason: >-
CWC27 is correctly a spliceosomal component, so the broad family-level
placement in a catalytic spliceosome is not wrong. However, structural studies
show CWC27/NY-CO-10 is recruited to the activated Bact complex and released
during the Bact-to-B* transition, so it is not specifically a step 2 catalytic
spliceosome factor. Retained as a non-core membership term; the more precise
activated-spliceosome terms (GO:0071005, GO:0005681) better capture its role.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:29360106
supporting_text: >-
the late Bact complex no longer contains the splicing factors RNF113A
(Cwc24 in yeast) and NY-CO-10 (Cwc27 in yeast)
- term:
id: GO:0005634
label: nucleus
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000120
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: >-
Automated (IEA) annotation of nuclear localization, consistent with CWC27's
role as a spliceosomal protein and with UniProt's curated subcellular location
(Nucleus).
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
Nuclear localization is well supported. UniProt records the subcellular
location as Nucleus, and CWC27 is a component of nuclear spliceosomal
complexes. More specific nucleoplasm annotations (GO:0005654) are also present.
supported_by:
- reference_id: file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
supporting_text: "SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Nucleus {ECO:0000305|PubMed:29360106}."
- term:
id: GO:0006457
label: protein folding
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000002
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
InterPro2GO (IEA) transfer of protein folding based solely on the
cyclophilin-type PPIase InterPro signature (IPR020892). This is a family-level
inference that assumes foldase/chaperone activity from domain membership.
action: MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED
reason: >-
CWC27 is a demonstrated catalytically inactive pseudo-PPIase: it shows no
peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity and no cyclosporin binding, and
UniProt curates it as a "Probable inactive peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase"
with a CAUTION. The InterPro2GO "protein folding" transfer ignores the loss of
catalytic residues and therefore over-annotates a foldase/chaperone function
that CWC27 does not possess. There is no evidence CWC27 catalyzes or assists
protein folding.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:20676357
supporting_text: >-
No binding was detected for PPIL2, PPIL6, or SDCCAG-10, making these, to
our knowledge, the first set of human cyclophilins that have been found
incompetent to ligate cyclosporin
- reference_id: file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
supporting_text: >-
Despite the fact that it belongs to the cyclophilin-type PPIase family, a
report has shown that it has probably no peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans
isomerase activity.
- reference_id: file:human/CWC27/CWC27-deep-research-falcon.md
supporting_text: >-
This loss of catalytic function is directly attributable to the Glu122
substitution in the active site, which renders the enzyme incompetent for
proline isomerization
- term:
id: GO:0000398
label: mRNA splicing, via spliceosome
evidence_type: NAS
original_reference_id: PMID:29360106
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
NAS annotation (ComplexPortal) that CWC27 functions in pre-mRNA splicing via
the spliceosome, based on its presence in the activated major spliceosome.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
mRNA splicing via the spliceosome is the core biological process of CWC27.
CWC27/NY-CO-10 is a component of the activated (Bact) major spliceosome
resolved by cryo-EM, and biallelic loss of function causes a Mendelian disease
consistent with impaired splicing. As a non-catalytic scaffold, CWC27 also
forms a heterodimer with CWC22 that the falcon deep research describes as a
landing platform coupling spliceosome activation to eIF4A3/exon junction complex
recruitment, consistent with its splicing role.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:29360106
supporting_text: >-
the late Bact complex no longer contains the splicing factors RNF113A
(Cwc24 in yeast) and NY-CO-10 (Cwc27 in yeast)
- reference_id: file:human/CWC27/CWC27-deep-research-falcon.md
supporting_text: >-
A critical function of CWC27 is its formation of a heterodimer with CWC22,
another spliceosomal protein
- term:
id: GO:0000398
label: mRNA splicing, via spliceosome
evidence_type: NAS
original_reference_id: PMID:33509932
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
NAS annotation (ComplexPortal) that CWC27 functions in pre-mRNA splicing,
based on its presence in the activated human minor (U12-type) spliceosome.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
CWC27 is a component of the activated minor spliceosome that splices U12-type
introns, directly supporting its involvement in mRNA splicing via the
spliceosome.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:33509932
supporting_text: The minor spliceosome mediates splicing of the rare but essential U12-type precursor messenger RNA.
- term:
id: GO:0005681
label: spliceosomal complex
evidence_type: IPI
original_reference_id: PMID:39068178
qualifier: part_of
review:
summary: >-
IPI annotation (ComplexPortal) placing CWC27 as part of the spliceosomal
complex, based on identification within activation-stage spliceosome
structures.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
Spliceosome membership is directly and unambiguously supported by cryo-EM
structures of the human spliceosome capturing the activation pathway (pre-Bact
through post-Bact). This is a core cellular-component annotation for CWC27.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:39068178
supporting_text: >-
intermediate states between the B and B* complexes: pre-Bact, Bact-I,
Bact-II, Bact-III, Bact-IV, and post-Bact
- term:
id: GO:0071018
label: U12-type catalytic step 2 spliceosome
evidence_type: IPI
original_reference_id: PMID:33509932
qualifier: part_of
review:
summary: >-
IPI annotation placing CWC27 as part of the U12-type (minor) catalytic step 2
spliceosome, based on the cryo-EM structure of the activated human minor
spliceosome.
action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
reason: >-
CWC27 is a genuine component of the activated minor spliceosome, so minor
(U12-type) spliceosome membership is correct. Retained as non-core: as in the
major spliceosome, CWC27 associates with the activated complex and the precise
catalytic-step-2 placement is a curated mapping of the resolved minor
spliceosome state rather than evidence of a step 2 catalytic role for CWC27.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:33509932
supporting_text: >-
Here, we report the atomic features of the activated human minor spliceosome determined
by cryo-electron microscopy at 2.9-angstrom resolution.
- term:
id: GO:0005654
label: nucleoplasm
evidence_type: IDA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000052
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: >-
IDA annotation (HPA immunofluorescence) localizing CWC27 to the nucleoplasm.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
Nucleoplasmic localization is consistent with CWC27's role as a spliceosomal
protein and with the curated UniProt nuclear localization. Direct
immunofluorescence evidence supports this subcellular component.
supported_by:
- reference_id: file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
supporting_text: "SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Nucleus {ECO:0000305|PubMed:29360106}."
- term:
id: GO:0000398
label: mRNA splicing, via spliceosome
evidence_type: IC
original_reference_id: PMID:29360106
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
IC annotation inferring involvement in mRNA splicing from membership in the
U2-type precatalytic/activated spliceosome (GO:0071005).
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
A sound curator inference: CWC27 is a structural component of the activated
major spliceosome, so it is reasonably inferred to be involved in mRNA
splicing via the spliceosome, the core process for this protein.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:29360106
supporting_text: >-
the late Bact complex no longer contains the splicing factors RNF113A
(Cwc24 in yeast) and NY-CO-10 (Cwc27 in yeast)
- term:
id: GO:0071005
label: U2-type precatalytic spliceosome
evidence_type: IDA
original_reference_id: PMID:29360106
qualifier: part_of
review:
summary: >-
IDA annotation placing CWC27 in the U2-type (major) precatalytic/activated
spliceosome, based on the cryo-EM structure of the human activated spliceosome.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
This is the most precisely evidenced cellular-component annotation for CWC27.
Cryo-EM directly visualizes NY-CO-10 (CWC27) in the activated major (Bact)
spliceosome, with the PRP8 endonuclease-like domain contacting it, and shows it
is released during the Bact-to-B* transition. The falcon deep research adds the
mechanistic detail that release is driven by the DEAH-box helicase PRP2 (with
SPP2), which during the Bact-to-B* transition triggers dissociation of CWC27
along with the SF3a/SF3b and RES complexes.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:29360106
supporting_text: >-
the late Bact complex no longer contains the splicing factors RNF113A
(Cwc24 in yeast) and NY-CO-10 (Cwc27 in yeast)
- reference_id: file:human/CWC27/CWC27-deep-research-falcon.md
supporting_text: >-
The DEAH-box helicase PRP2, assisted by its co-activator SPP2, pulls on the
3' end of the intron, leading to dissociation of the SF3a/SF3b complexes, RES
complex, and importantly, both CWC24 and CWC27
- term:
id: GO:0003755
label: peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity
evidence_type: IDA
original_reference_id: PMID:20676357
qualifier: enables
negated: true
review:
summary: >-
Negated (NOT) IDA annotation recording that CWC27 (SDCCAG-10) does NOT have
peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity, based on direct biochemical
assay showing no tetrapeptide isomerase activity and no cyclosporin binding.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
This negated annotation correctly captures the experimental finding that CWC27
is a catalytically inactive pseudo-PPIase. Davis et al. found SDCCAG-10
(CWC27) incompetent for both cyclosporin binding and tetrapeptide isomerase
activity, attributable to a glutamate substitution at a conserved active-site
position. The NOT annotation should be retained as it documents the absence of
the family-expected catalytic activity.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:20676357
supporting_text: >-
No binding was detected for PPIL2, PPIL6, or SDCCAG-10, making these, to
our knowledge, the first set of human cyclophilins that have been found
incompetent to ligate cyclosporin
- term:
id: GO:0005654
label: nucleoplasm
evidence_type: TAS
original_reference_id: Reactome:R-HSA-9770131
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: >-
TAS annotation (Reactome, Formation of the Spliceosomal B* complex) localizing
CWC27 to the nucleoplasm.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
Nucleoplasmic localization is consistent with CWC27's spliceosomal function
and with the curated UniProt nuclear localization and HPA immunofluorescence
evidence.
supported_by:
- reference_id: file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
supporting_text: "SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Nucleus {ECO:0000305|PubMed:29360106}."
- term:
id: GO:0005654
label: nucleoplasm
evidence_type: TAS
original_reference_id: Reactome:R-HSA-9770145
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: >-
TAS annotation (Reactome, Formation of the Spliceosomal Bact complex)
localizing CWC27 to the nucleoplasm.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
Consistent with CWC27's recruitment into the activated Bact spliceosome in the
nucleoplasm; supported by curated nuclear localization and immunofluorescence.
supported_by:
- reference_id: file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
supporting_text: "SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Nucleus {ECO:0000305|PubMed:29360106}."
- term:
id: GO:0005654
label: nucleoplasm
evidence_type: TAS
original_reference_id: Reactome:R-HSA-9921507
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: >-
TAS annotation (Reactome, NS5 interacts with Spliceosome) localizing CWC27 to
the nucleoplasm.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
Nucleoplasmic localization is well supported for this spliceosomal protein.
The annotation derives from a Reactome pathway in which the spliceosome (with
CWC27) resides in the nucleoplasm.
supported_by:
- reference_id: file:human/CWC27/CWC27-uniprot.txt
supporting_text: "SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Nucleus {ECO:0000305|PubMed:29360106}."
- term:
id: GO:0000398
label: mRNA splicing, via spliceosome
evidence_type: IC
original_reference_id: PMID:11991638
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
IC annotation inferring involvement in mRNA splicing from CWC27's presence in
native purified spliceosomes (catalytic step 2 / C-complex-enriched).
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
CWC27 is detected in native purified spliceosomes, supporting the inference
that it participates in mRNA splicing via the spliceosome, its core process.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:11991638
supporting_text: >-
These spliceosomes consist largely of C complex containing splicing
- term:
id: GO:0071013
label: catalytic step 2 spliceosome
evidence_type: IDA
original_reference_id: PMID:11991638
qualifier: part_of
review:
summary: >-
IDA annotation placing CWC27 in the catalytic step 2 spliceosome, based on its
identification in native purified C-complex-enriched spliceosomes.
action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
reason: >-
CWC27 was detected in native purified spliceosome preparations enriched for C
complex, supporting spliceosome membership. However, higher-resolution cryo-EM
work later localized CWC27/NY-CO-10 specifically to the activated Bact stage,
from which it is released before step 2 catalysis. The catalytic step 2
placement reflects the bulk composition of the purified preparation rather than
a specific step 2 role, so it is retained as a non-core membership term.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:11991638
supporting_text: >-
These spliceosomes consist largely of C complex containing splicing
- reference_id: PMID:29360106
supporting_text: >-
the late Bact complex no longer contains the splicing factors RNF113A
(Cwc24 in yeast) and NY-CO-10 (Cwc27 in yeast)
core_functions:
- description: >-
Structural/scaffold component of the activated spliceosome required for pre-mRNA
splicing; CWC27 is recruited to the activated Bact complex of the major (U2-type)
spliceosome and is released during the Bact-to-B* transition, and is likewise a
component of the activated minor (U12-type) spliceosome.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:29360106
supporting_text: >-
the late Bact complex no longer contains the splicing factors RNF113A (Cwc24
in yeast) and NY-CO-10 (Cwc27 in yeast)
- reference_id: PMID:33509932
supporting_text: The minor spliceosome mediates splicing of the rare but essential U12-type precursor messenger RNA.
- reference_id: file:human/CWC27/CWC27-deep-research-falcon.md
supporting_text: >-
A critical function of CWC27 is its formation of a heterodimer with CWC22,
another spliceosomal protein
directly_involved_in:
- id: GO:0000398
label: mRNA splicing, via spliceosome
in_complex:
id: GO:0005681
label: spliceosomal complex
locations:
- id: GO:0005654
label: nucleoplasm
proposed_new_terms: []
suggested_questions:
- question: Does the catalytically dead cyclophilin domain of CWC27 retain a substrate-binding or proline-recognition function within the spliceosome that contributes to splice site fidelity, even in the absence of isomerase catalysis?
- question: How does the CWC27-CWC22 module mechanistically couple spliceosome activation to positioning of eIF4A3/the exon junction complex, and which step of EJC deposition requires CWC27?
- question: Why do CWC27 loss-of-function variants produce a retina-predominant phenotype (RPSKA) despite ubiquitous expression and an essential splicing role?
suggested_experiments:
- description: Structure-guided mutagenesis of the degenerate active-site residue(s) (e.g., the Glu at the position equivalent to PPIA Trp121) combined with rescue assays in CWC27-null cells to test whether restoring a canonical cyclophilin active site confers PPIase activity and/or alters splicing.
- description: Transcriptome-wide splicing analysis (RNA-seq/junction analysis) in CWC27-depleted cells, with emphasis on U12-type minor introns and retina-expressed transcripts, to define the set of introns dependent on CWC27.
- description: Cross-linking/proteomics and cryo-EM of the CWC27-CWC22 sub-complex bound to eIF4A3 to map the interface and test the model that CWC27 positions the EJC core for deposition during splicing.
references:
- id: GO_REF:0000002
title: Gene Ontology annotation through association of InterPro records with GO
terms
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000033
title: Annotation inferences using phylogenetic trees
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000052
title: Gene Ontology annotation based on curation of immunofluorescence data
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000120
title: Combined Automated Annotation using Multiple IEA Methods
findings: []
- id: PMID:11991638
title: Purification and characterization of native spliceosomes suitable for three-dimensional
structural analysis.
findings:
- statement: >-
CWC27 is present in native affinity-purified spliceosomes consisting largely
of C complex, the basis for its catalytic step 2 spliceosome annotation.
- id: PMID:20676357
title: Structural and biochemical characterization of the human cyclophilin family
of peptidyl-prolyl isomerases.
findings:
- statement: >-
CWC27 (SDCCAG-10) is a catalytically inactive cyclophilin with no detectable
cyclosporin binding and no tetrapeptide isomerase activity.
- id: PMID:29360106
title: Structure of the human activated spliceosome in three conformational states.
findings:
- statement: >-
CWC27/NY-CO-10 is a component of the activated major (Bact) spliceosome and
is released during the Bact-to-B* transition.
- id: PMID:33509932
title: Structure of the activated human minor spliceosome.
findings:
- statement: >-
CWC27 is a component of the activated human minor spliceosome that splices
U12-type introns.
- id: PMID:39068178
title: Molecular basis for the activation of human spliceosome.
findings:
- statement: >-
CWC27 is identified within spliceosome activation intermediates spanning the
pre-Bact to post-Bact states.
- id: PMID:28285769
title: Mutations in the spliceosome component CWC27 cause retinal degeneration with
or without additional developmental anomalies.
findings:
- statement: >-
Biallelic loss-of-function variants in CWC27 cause autosomal-recessive
retinitis pigmentosa with or without skeletal/developmental anomalies (RPSKA).
- id: Reactome:R-HSA-9770131
title: Formation of the Spliceosomal B* complex
findings: []
- id: Reactome:R-HSA-9770145
title: Formation of the Spliceosomal Bact complex
findings: []
- id: Reactome:R-HSA-9921507
title: NS5 interacts with Spliceosome
findings: []
- id: file:human/CWC27/CWC27-deep-research-falcon.md
title: Falcon deep research report for CWC27
findings:
- statement: >-
Synthesizes CWC27 as a catalytically inactive spliceosomal cyclophilin that acts
as a structural/scaffold splicing factor; recruited to the activated Bact complex,
released by the PRP2 helicase during the Bact-to-B* transition, and forming a
CWC27-CWC22 heterodimer that serves as a landing platform for eIF4A3/EJC recruitment.
reference_review:
relevance: HIGH
correctness: UNVERIFIED
review_notes: >-
LLM-synthesized deep research; consistent with the curated picture (degenerate PPIase,
Bact-stage structural splicing factor, CWC27-CWC22/EJC role, retinal spliceosomopathy)
and correctly states CWC27 is catalytically inactive as a PPIase (Glu122 substitution,
no cyclosporin binding). Its underlying primary citations (Bertrand 2022, Schlautmann
2020, Rajiv 2018, Schmitzova 2023, Zhan 2024) were not independently verified here and
are not in the publication cache, so correctness left UNVERIFIED. Note the report does
NOT overstate active isomerase catalysis; quoted passages were checked verbatim.