Guide RNA molecules not engaged in RNA editing form ribonucleoprotein complexes free of mRNA

TbRGG2 facilitates kinetoplastid RNA editing initiation and progression past intrinsic pause sites

TbRGG2 is an essential kinetoplastid RNA editing accessory factor that acts specifically on pan-edited RNAs. To understand the mechanism of TbRGG2 action, we undertook an in-depth analysis of edited RNA populations in TbRGG2 knockdown cells and an in vitro examination of the biochemical activities of the protein. We demonstrate that TbRGG2 down-regulation more severely impacts editing at the 5' ends of pan-edited RNAs than at their 3' ends. The initiation of editing is reduced to some extent in TbRGG2 knockdown cells. In addition, TbRGG2 plays a post-initiation role as editing becomes stalled in TbRGG2-depleted cells, resulting in an overall decrease in the 3' to 5' progression of editing. Detailed analyses of edited RNAs from wild-type and TbRGG2-depleted cells reveal that TbRGG2 facilitates progression of editing past intrinsic pause sites that often correspond to the 3' ends of cognate guide RNAs (gRNAs). In addition, noncanonically edited junction regions are either absent or significantly shortened in TbRGG2-depleted cells, consistent with impaired gRNA transitions. Sequence analysis further suggests that TbRGG2 facilitates complete utilization of certain gRNAs. In vitro RNA annealing and in vivo RNA unwinding assays demonstrate that TbRGG2 can modulate RNA-RNA interactions. Collectively, these data are consistent with a model in which TbRGG2 facilitates initiation and 3' to 5' progression of editing through its ability to affect gRNA utilization, both during the transition between specific gRNAs and during usage of certain gRNAs.

Purification of a functional enzymatic editing complex from Trypanosoma brucei mitochondria

Kinetoplastid mitochondrial RNA editing, the insertion and deletion of U residues, is catalyzed by sequential cleavage, U addition or removal, and ligation reactions and is directed by complementary guide RNAs. We have purified a approximately 20S enzymatic complex from Trypanosoma brucei mitochondria that catalyzes a complete editing reaction in vitro. This complex possesses all four activities predicted to catalyze RNA editing: gRNA-directed endonuclease, terminal uridylyl transferase, 3' U-specific exonuclease, and RNA ligase. However, it does not contain other putative editing complex components: gRNA-independent endonuclease, RNA helicase, endogenous gRNAs or pre-mRNAs, or a 25 kDa gRNA-binding protein. The complex is composed of eight major polypeptides, three of which represent RNA ligase. These findings identify polypeptides representing catalytic editing factors, reveal the nature of this approximately 20S editing complex, and suggest a new model of editosome assembly.

Mitochondrial glutamate dehydrogenase from Leishmania tarentolae is a guide RNA-binding protein

To identify specific proteins interacting with guide RNAs (gRNAs) in mitochondrial ribonucleoprotein complexes from Leishmania tarentolae, fractionated and unfractionated mitochondrial extracts were subjected to UV cross-linking with added labeled gRNA and also with [alpha-32P]UTP-labeled endogenous RNA. An abundant 110-kDa protein (p110) localized in the T-V complex, which sediments in glycerol gradients at the leading edge of the 10S terminal uridylyltransferase peak, was found to interact with both types of labeled RNAs. The p110 protein was gel isolated and subjected to microsequence analysis, and the gene was cloned. The sequence revealed significant similarity with mitochondrial glutamate dehydrogenases. A polyclonal antiserum was raised against a recombinant fragment of the p110 gene and was used to demonstrate a stable and specific gRNA-binding activity by coimmunoprecipitation and competitive gel shift analyses. Complex formation was strongly inhibited by competition with poly(U) or by deletion or substitution of the gRNA 3' oligo(U) tail. Also, addition of a 3' oligo(U) tail to an unrelated transcript was sufficient for p110 binding. Both the gRNA-binding activity of the p110 protein and in vitro gRNA-independent and gRNA-dependent uridine insertion activities in the mitochondrial extract were inhibited by high concentrations of dinucleotides.

Native gel analysis of ribonucleoprotein complexes from a Leishmania tarentolae mitochondrial extract

Two polypeptides of 50 and 45 kDa were adenylated by incubation of a mitochondrial extract from Leishmania tarentolae with [alpha-32P]ATP. These proteins were components of a complex that sedimented at 20S in glycerol gradients and migrated as a single band of approximately 1800 kDa in a native gel. The facts that RNA ligase activity cosedimented at 20S and that the ATP-labeled p45 and p50 polypeptides were deadenylated upon incubation with a ligatable RNA substrate suggested that these proteins may represent charged intermediates of a mitochondrial RNA ligase. Hybridization of native gel blots with guide RNA (gRNA) probes showed the presence of gRNA in the previously identified T-IV complexes that sedimented in glycerol at 10S and contained terminal uridylyl transferase (TUTase) activity, and also in a previously unidentified class of heterodisperse complexes that sedimented throughout the gradient. gRNAs were not detected in the p45 + p50-containing 1800 kDa complex. The heterodisperse gRNA-containing complexes were sensitive to incubation at 27 degrees C and appear to represent complexes of T-IV subunits with mRNA. Polyclonal antiserum to a 70 kDa protein that purified with terminal uridylyl transferase activity was generated, and the antiserum was used to show that this p70 polypeptide was a component of both the T-IV and the heterodisperse gRNA-containing complexes. We propose that the p45 + p50-containing 1800 kDa complex and the p70 + gRNA-containing heterodisperse complexes interact in the editing process. Further characterization of these various complexes should increase our knowledge of the biochemical mechanisms involved in RNA editing.

Complexes from Trypanosoma brucei that exhibit deletion editing and other editing-associated properties

Transcripts from many mitochondrial genes in kinetoplastids undergo RNA editing, a posttranscriptional process which inserts and deletes uridines. By assaying for deletion editing in vitro, we found that the editing activity from Trypanosoma brucei mitochondrial lysates (S.D. Seiwert and K.D. Stuart), Science 266:114-117,1994) sediments with a peak of approximately 20S. RNA helicase, terminal uridylyl transferase, RNA ligase, and adenylation activities, which may have a role in editing, cosediment in a broad distribution, with most of each activity at 35 to 40S. Most ATPase 6 (A6) guide RNA and unedited A6 mRNA sediments at 20 to 30S, with some sedimenting further into the gradient, while most edited A6 mRNA sediments at >35S. Several mitochondrial proteins which cross-link specifically with guide RNA upon UV treatment also sediment in glycerol gradients. Notably, a 65-kDa protein sediments primarily at approximately 20S, a 90-kDa protein sediments at 35 to 40S, and a 25-kDa protein is present at <10S. Most ribonucleoprotein complexes that form with gRNA in vitro sediment at 10 to 20S, except for one, which sediments at 30 to 45S. These results suggest that RNA editing takes place within a multicomponent complex. The potential functions of and relationships between the 20S and 35 to 40S complexes are discussed.