Prp8 stands out among hundreds of splicing factors as a key regulator of spliceosome activation and a potential cofactor of the splicing reaction. We present here the crystal structure of a 274-residue domain (residues 1,822-2,095) near the C terminus of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Prp8. The most striking feature of this domain is a -hairpin finger protruding out of the protein (hence, this domain will be referred to as the -finger domain), resembling many globular ribosomal proteins with protruding extensions. Mutations throughout the -finger change the conformational equilibrium between the first and the second catalytic step. Mutations at the base of the -finger affect U4/U6 unwinding-mediated spliceosome activation. Prp8 may insert its -finger into the first-step complex (U2/U5/U6/pre-mRNA) or U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP and stabilize these complexes. Mutations on the -finger likely alter these interactions, leading to the observed mutant phenotypes. Our results suggest a possible mechanism of how Prp8 regulates spliceosome activation. These results also demonstrate an analogy between a spliceosomal protein and ribosomal proteins that insert extensions into folded rRNAs and stabilize the ribosome. P re-mRNA splicing is a critical step for gene expression in all eukaryotes. In eukaryotes, DNA is first transcribed to premRNAs whose introns have to be accurately removed before mRNA export and translation. Introns are removed through two transesterification steps. In the first step, the 2Ј-OH group of a critical adenosine residue in the branch point sequence (BPS) attacks the 5Ј end of the intron and forms a lariat intermediate. In the second step, the newly freed 3Ј-OH group of the 5Ј-end exon attacks the 3Ј-end of the intron, releasing the lariat and ligating the two exons.Pre-mRNA splicing is catalyzed by the spliceosome, a large RNA/protein complex that contains five snRNAs (U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6) and over 100 different protein factors. The spliceosome appears to assemble on pre-mRNA in a stepwise manner (1), although evidence also exists that the spliceosome may preassemble before encountering a pre-mRNA substrate (2). During spliceosome assembly, the 5Ј splice site (ss), BPS, and 3Ј ss of pre-mRNA are first recognized by the U1 snRNP, SF1/BBP, and U2AF65/35, respectively. Next, U2 snRNP replaces SF1 and base-pairs with the BPS. Subsequently, the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP joins the spliceosome. Next, extensive structural rearrangements occur to form the catalytically active spliceosome complex (first-step complex), which contains U2, U5, U6, and the pre-mRNA (3). During this activation process, the base-pairing between the 5Ј ss and U1 snRNA is disrupted, and the 5Ј ss interacts with the ACAGA box of U6 instead, using largely the same nucleotides that base-paired with U1 snRNA. The base-pairing between U4 and U6 is also disrupted, and new interactions between U2 and U6, which are mutually exclusive with those in the original U4/U6 complex, are formed. In addition, the BPS interacts with U2 snRNA, and both exons interac...