Gem-associated protein 8 (Gemin-8) is a protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 that in humans is encoded by the GEMIN8 gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

.

Function

Gemin-8 is part of the SMN complex, which is necessary for spliceosomal snRNP

SnRNP

snRNPs , or small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, are RNA-protein complexes that combine with unmodified pre-mRNA and various other proteins to form a spliceosome, a large RNA-protein molecular complex upon which splicing of pre-mRNA occurs...

 assembly in the cytoplasm and pre-mRNA

Messenger RNA

Messenger RNA is a molecule of RNA encoding a chemical "blueprint" for a protein product. mRNA is transcribed from a DNA template, and carries coding information to the sites of protein synthesis: the ribosomes. Here, the nucleic acid polymer is translated into a polymer of amino acids: a protein...

 splicing in the nucleus

Cell nucleus

In cell biology, the nucleus is a membrane-enclosed organelle found in eukaryotic cells. It contains most of the cell's genetic material, organized as multiple long linear DNA molecules in complex with a large variety of proteins, such as histones, to form chromosomes. The genes within these...

. Gemin-8 binds to both SMN1

SMN1

Survival motor neuron protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SMN1 gene.-Interactions:SMN1 has been shown to interact with Gem-associated protein 7, GEMIN4, KPNB1, Survival of motor neuron protein-interacting protein 1, DDX20, Coilin, Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein D1, Fibrillarin,...

 and the GEMIN6

Gem-associated protein 6

Gem-associated protein 6 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GEMIN6 gene.-Interactions:Gem-associated protein 6 has been shown to interact with Gem-associated protein 7.-Further reading:...

 / GEMIN7

Gem-associated protein 7

Gem-associated protein 7 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GEMIN7 gene.-Interactions:Gem-associated protein 7 has been shown to interact with SMN1 and Gem-associated protein 6.-Further reading:...

 heterodimer, mediating their interaction. This protein is found in nuclear Gemini of Cajal bodies

Cajal body

Cajal bodies are spherical sub-organelles of 0.3-1.0 µm in diameter found in the nucleus of proliferative cells like embryonic cells and tumor cells, or metabolically active cells like neurons. In contrast to cytoplasmic organelles, CBs lack any phospholipid membrane which would separate their...

 (gems) and in the cytoplasm

Cytoplasm

The cytoplasm is a small gel-like substance residing between the cell membrane holding all the cell's internal sub-structures , except for the nucleus. All the contents of the cells of prokaryote organisms are contained within the cytoplasm...

. Three transcript variants encoding the same protein have been found for this gene.