SF3B is a U2 snRNP-associated protein complex essential for spliceosome assembly. SF3B contains the spliceosomal proteins SAP 49, SAP 130 (also known as SF3B3), SAP 145 and SAP 155. SF3B3, SAP 145 and SAP 155 are present in a protein complex in HeLa nuclear extracts and associate with one another. While SF3B3 and SAP 155 interact with each other (directly or indirectly) within this complex, SAP 49 and SAP 145 are known to interact directly with each other. Unexpectedly, the SAP 49-SAP 145 protein-protein interaction requires the amino-terminus of SAP 49, which contains two RNA-recognition motifs. The observation that SAP 49 and SAP 145 interact directly with both U2 snRNP and the pre-mRNA suggests that this protein complex plays a role in tethering U2 snRNP to the branch site.