Cajal bodies and histone locus bodies in Drosophila and Xenopus

Abstract

The organization of the cell nucleus into specialized compartments is important for nuclear function. We address the significance of compartmentalization by studying the Cajal body, an evolutionarily conserved nuclear organelle proposed to be involved in such diverse functions as assembly of the spliceosome, assembly of the transcription machinery, and modification of spliceosomal small nuclear RNAs. The Cajal body is typically identified by the presence of coilin, a protein of poorly defined function. Here, we demonstrate that coilin is not a unique Cajal body marker but also occurs in a related yet distinct nuclear organelle known as the histone locus body in both Drosophila and Xenopus. We stress the importance of multiple markers not only for identification of nuclear bodies but also for assessing their functional significance.