The decay of bacterial messenger RNA

Emerging tools for uncovering genetic and transcriptomic heterogeneities in bacteria

Bacterial communities display an astonishing degree of heterogeneities among their constituent cells across both the genomic and transcriptomic levels, giving rise to diverse social interactions and stress-adaptation strategies indispensable for proliferating in the natural environment (Ackermann in Nat Rev Microbiol 13:497-508, 2015). Our knowledge about bacterial heterogeneities and their physiological ramifications critically depends on our ability to unambiguously resolve the genetic and phenotypic states of the individual cells that make up the population. In this short review, I highlight several recently developed methods for studying bacterial heterogeneities, primarily focusing on single-cell techniques based on advanced sequencing and microscopy technologies. I will discuss the working principle of each technique as well as the types of problems each technique is best positioned to address. With significant improvements in resolution and throughput, these emerging tools together offer unprecedented and complementary views of various types of heterogeneities found within bacterial populations, paving the way for mechanistic dissections and systematic interventions in laboratory and clinical settings.

The Escherichia coli RNA processing and degradation machinery is compartmentalized within an organized cellular network

We have shown that the multiprotein network of the bacterial RNA processing and degradation is organized within high-order cellular structures. Macromolecular assembly of protein networks could provide a general mechanism to streamline specific pathways within the seemingly non-compartmentalized prokaryotic cytoplasm.

Involvement of pnp in survival of UV radiation in Escherichia coli K-12

Polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase), a multifunctional protein, is a 3'→5' exoribonuclease or exoDNase in the presence of inorganic phosphate (P(i)), and extends a 3'-OH of RNA or ssDNA in the presence of ADP or dADP. In Escherichia coli, PNPase is known to protect against H(2)O(2)- and mitomycin C-induced damage. Recent reports show that Bacillus subtilis PNPase is required for repair of H(2)O(2)-induced double-strand breaks. Here we show that absence of PNPase makes E. coli cells sensitive to UV, indicating that PNPase has a role in survival of UV radiation damage. Analyses of various DNA repair pathways show that in the absence of nucleotide excision repair, survival of UV radiation depends critically on PNPase function. Consequently, uvrA pnp, uvrB pnp and uvrC pnp strains show hypersensitivity to UV radiation. Whereas the pnp mutation is non-epistatic to recJ, recQ and recG mutations with respect to the UV-sensitivity phenotype, it is epistatic to uvrD, recB and ruvA mutations, implicating it in the recombinational repair process.

Sequence features of E. coli mRNAs affect their degradation

Degradation of mRNA in bacteria is a regulatory mechanism, providing an efficient way to fine-tune protein abundance in response to environmental changes. While the mechanisms responsible for initiation and subsequent propagation of mRNA degradation are well studied, the mRNA features that affect its stability are yet to be elucidated. We calculated three properties for each mRNA in the E. coli transcriptome: G+C content, tRNA adaptation index (tAI) and folding energy. Each of these properties were then correlated with the experimental transcript half life measured for each transcript and detected significant correlations. A sliding window analysis identified the regions that displayed the maximal signal. The correlation between transcript half life and both G+C content and folding energy was strongest at the 5' termini of the mRNAs. Partial correlations showed that each of the parameters contributes separately to mRNA half life. Notably, mRNAs of recently-acquired genes in the E. coli genome, which have a distinct nucleotide composition, tend to be highly stable. This high stability may aid the evolutionary fixation of horizontally acquired genes.

Endonucleolytic initiation of mRNA decay in Escherichia coli

Instability is a fundamental property of mRNA that is necessary for the regulation of gene expression. In E. coli, the turnover of mRNA involves multiple, redundant pathways involving 3'-exoribonucleases, endoribonucleases, and a variety of other enzymes that modify RNA covalently or affect its conformation. Endoribonucleases are thought to initiate or accelerate the process of mRNA degradation. A major endoribonuclease in this process is RNase E, which is a key component of the degradative machinery amongst the Proteobacteria. RNase E is the central element in a multienzyme complex known as the RNA degradosome. Structural and functional data are converging on models for the mechanism of activation and regulation of RNase E and its paralog, RNase G. Here, we discuss current models for mRNA degradation in E. coli and we present current thinking on the structure and function of RNase E based on recent crystal structures of its catalytic core.

Killer and protective ribosomes

In prokaryotes, translation influences mRNA decay. The breakdown of most Escherichia coli mRNAs is initiated by RNase E, a 5'-dependent endonuclease. Some mRNAs are protected by ribosomes even if these are located far upstream of cleavage sites ("protection at a distance"), whereas others require direct shielding of these sites. I argue that these situations reflect different modes of interaction of RNase E with mRNAs. Protection at a distance is most impressive in Bacilli, where ribosomes can protect kilobases of unstable downstream sequences. I propose that this protection reflects the role in mRNA decay of RNase J1, a 5'-->3' exonuclease with no E. coli equivalent. Finally, recent years have shown that besides their protective role, ribosomes can also cleave their mRNA under circumstances that cause ribosome stalling. The endonuclease associated with this "killing" activity, which has a eukaryotic counterpart ("no-go decay"), is not characterized; it may be borne by the distressed ribosome itself.

In vivo dynamics of intracistronic transcriptional polarity

Transcriptional polarity occurs in Escherichia coli when cryptic Rho-dependent transcription terminators become activated as a consequence of reduced translation. Increased spacing between RNA polymerase and the leading ribosome allows the transcription termination factor Rho to bind to mRNA, migrate to the RNA polymerase, and induce termination. Transcriptional polarity results in decreased synthesis of inefficiently translated mRNAs and, therefore, in decreased expression not only of downstream genes in the same operon (intercistronic polarity) but also of the cistron in which termination occurs (intracistronic polarity). To quantitatively measure the effect of different levels of translation on intracistronic transcription termination, the polarity-prone lacZ reporter gene was fused to a range of mutated ribosome binding sites, repressed to different degrees by local RNA structure. The results show that polarity gradually increases with decreasing frequency of translational initiation, as expected. Closer analysis, with the help of a newly developed kinetic model, reveals that efficient intracistronic termination requires very low translational initiation frequencies. This finding is unexpected because Rho is a relatively small protein that binds rapidly to its RNA target, but it appears to be true also for other examples of transcriptional polarity reported in the literature. The conclusion must be that polarity is more complex than just an increased exposure of the Rho binding site as the spacing between the polymerase and the leading ribosome becomes larger. Biological consequences and possible mechanisms are discussed.

A coarse-grained biophysical model of E. coli and its application to perturbation of the rRNA operon copy number

We propose a biophysical model of Escherichia coli that predicts growth rate and an effective cellular composition from an effective, coarse-grained representation of its genome. We assume that E. coli is in a state of balanced exponential steady-state growth, growing in a temporally and spatially constant environment, rich in resources. We apply this model to a series of past measurements, where the growth rate and rRNA-to-protein ratio have been measured for seven E. coli strains with an rRNA operon copy number ranging from one to seven (the wild-type copy number). These experiments show that growth rate markedly decreases for strains with fewer than six copies. Using the model, we were able to reproduce these measurements. We show that the model that best fits these data suggests that the volume fraction of macromolecules inside E. coli is not fixed when the rRNA operon copy number is varied. Moreover, the model predicts that increasing the copy number beyond seven results in a cytoplasm densely packed with ribosomes and proteins. Assuming that under such overcrowded conditions prolonged diffusion times tend to weaken binding affinities, the model predicts that growth rate will not increase substantially beyond the wild-type growth rate, as indicated by other experiments. Our model therefore suggests that changing the rRNA operon copy number of wild-type E. coli cells growing in a constant rich environment does not substantially increase their growth rate. Other observations regarding strains with an altered rRNA operon copy number, such as nucleoid compaction and the rRNA operon feedback response, appear to be qualitatively consistent with this model. In addition, we discuss possible design principles suggested by the model and propose further experiments to test its validity.

A bacterium like E. coli can be thought of as a self-replicating factory, where inventory synthesis, degradation, and management is concerted according to a well-defined set of rules encoded in the organism's genome. Since the organism's survival depends on this set of rules, these rules were most likely optimized by evolution. Therefore, by writing down these rules, what could one learn about Escherichia coli? We examined E. coli growing in the simplest imaginable environment, one constant in space and time and rich in resources, and attempted to identify the rules that relate the genome to the cell composition and self-replication time. With more than 4,400 genes, a full-scale model would be prohibitively complicated, and therefore we “coarse-grained” E. coli by lumping together genes and proteins of similar function. We used this model to examine measurements of strains with reduced copy number of ribosomal-RNA genes, and also to show that increasing this copy number overcrowds the cell with ribosomes and proteins. As a result, there appears to be an optimum copy number with respect to the wild-type genome, in agreement with observation. We hope that this model will improve and further challenge our understanding of bacterial physiology, also in more complicated environments.

Genetic analysis of polynucleotide phosphorylase structure and functions

Polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) is a phosphate-dependent 3' to 5' exonuclease widely diffused among bacteria and eukaryotes. The enzyme, a homotrimer, can also be found associated with the endonuclease RNase E and other proteins in a heteromultimeric complex, the RNA degradosome. PNPase negatively controls its own gene (pnp) expression by destabilizing pnp mRNA. A current model of autoregulation maintains that PNPase and a short duplex at the 5'-end of pnp mRNA are the only determinants of mRNA stability. During the cold acclimation phase autoregulation is transiently relieved and cellular pnp mRNA abundance increases significantly. Although PNPase has been extensively studied and widely employed in molecular biology for about 50 years, several aspects of structure-function relationships of such a complex protein are still elusive. In this work, we performed a systematic PCR mutagenesis of discrete pnp regions and screened the mutants for diverse phenotypic traits affected by PNPase. Overall our results support previous proposals that both first and second core domains are involved in the catalysis of the phosphorolytic reaction, and that both phosphorolytic activity and RNA binding are required for autogenous regulation and growth in the cold, and give new insights on PNPase structure-function relationships by implicating the alpha-helical domain in PNPase enzymatic activity.

Cell-free synthesis of recombinant proteins from PCR-amplified genes at a comparable productivity to that of plasmid-based reactions

The functional stability of mRNA is one of the crucial factors affecting the efficiency of cell-free protein synthesis. The importance of the stability of mRNA in the prolonged synthesis of protein molecules becomes even greater when the cell-free protein synthesis is directed by PCR-amplified DNAs, because the linear DNAs are rapidly degraded by the endogenous nucleases and, thus, the continuous generation of mRNA molecules is limited. With the aim of developing a highly efficient cell-free protein synthesis system directed by PCR products, in this study, we describe a systematic approach to enhance the stability of mRNA in cell-free extracts. First, exonuclease-mediated degradation was substantially reduced by introducing a stem-loop structure at the 3'-end of the mRNA. The endonucleolytic cleavage of the mRNA was minimized by using an S30 extract prepared from an Escherichia coli strain that is deficient in a major endonuclease (RNase E). Taken together, through the retardation of the endonucleolytic and exonucleolytic degradations of the mRNA molecules, the level of protein expression from the PCR-amplified DNA templates becomes comparable to that of conventional plasmid-based reactions. The enhanced productivity of the PCR-based cell-free protein synthesis enables the high-throughput generation of protein molecules required for many post-genomic applications.

Role of mRNA stability during genome-wide adaptation of Lactococcus lactis to carbon starvation

The stability of mRNA was investigated for the first time at the genomic scale during carbon starvation adaptation of Lactococcus lactis IL1403. In exponential phase, mRNA half-lives were correlated positively to open reading frame length. A polypurine sequence, AGGAG, was identified as a putative 5'-stabilizer and inverted repeated sequences as a 3'-destabilizer. These original findings suggested that multiple pathways of mRNA degradation should coexist: internal cleavage, endonuclease cleavage initiated at the 5'-end, and exonuclease attack at the 3'-end. During carbon starvation adaptation, mRNA stability globally increased, but specific mechanisms allowing a wide range of stabilization factors between genes and differential kinetic evolution were involved. A formal method allowing the quantification of the relative influences of transcription and degradation on the mRNA pool control was developed and applied in L. lactis. Gene expression was mostly controlled by altered transcription prior to carbon source exhaustion, while the influence of mRNA stability increased during the starvation phase. This study highlighted that stability modulation in response to adverse growth conditions can govern gene regulation to the same extent as transcription in bacteria.

Modulation of mRNA stability participates in stationary-phase-specific expression of ribosome modulation factor

The expression of ribosome modulation factor (RMF) is induced during stationary phase in Escherichia coli. RMF participates in the dimerization of 70S ribosomes to form the 100S ribosome, which is the translationally inactive form of the ribosome. To elucidate the involvement of the control of mRNA stability in growth-phase-specific rmf expression, we investigated rmf mRNA stability in stationary-phase cells and cells inoculated into fresh medium. The rmf mRNA was found to have an extremely long half-life during stationary phase, whereas destabilization of this mRNA took place after the culture was inoculated into fresh medium. RMF and 100S ribosomes disappeared from cells 1 min after inoculation. In addition to control by ppGpp-dependent transcription, these results indicate that the modulation of rmf mRNA stability is also involved in the regulation of growth-phase-specific rmf expression. Unexpectedly, the postinoculation degradation of rmf mRNA was suppressed by the addition of rifampin, suggesting that de novo RNA synthesis is necessary for degradation. This degradation was also suppressed in both a poly(A) polymerase-deficient and an rne-131 mutant strain. We cloned and sequenced the 3'-proximal regions of rmf mRNAs and found that most of these 3' ends terminated at the rho-independent terminator with the addition of a one- to five-A oligo(A) tail in either stationary-phase or inoculated cells. No difference was observed in the length of the poly(A) tail between stationary-phase and inoculated cells. These results suggest that a certain postinoculation-specific regulatory factor participates in the destabilization of rmf mRNA and is dependent on polyadenylation.

Strategies for efficient production of heterologous proteins in Escherichia coli

In recent years, the number of recombinant proteins used for therapeutic applications has increased dramatically. Production of these proteins has a remarkable demand in the market. Escherichia coli offers a means for the rapid and economical production of recombinant proteins. These advantages, coupled with a wealth of biochemical and genetic knowledge, have enabled the production of such economically therapeutic proteins such as insulin and bovine growth hormone. These demands have driven the development of a variety of strategies for achieving high-level expression of protein, particularly involving several aspects such as expression vectors design, gene dosage, promoter strength (transcriptional regulation), mRNA stability, translation initiation and termination (translational regulation), host design considerations, codon usage, and fermentation factors available for manipulating the expression conditions, which are the major challenges is obtaining the high yield of protein at low cost.

Organization and expression of the polynucleotide phosphorylase gene (pnp) of Streptomyces: Processing of pnp transcripts in Streptomyces antibioticus

We have examined the expression of pnp encoding the 3'-5'-exoribonuclease, polynucleotide phosphorylase, in Streptomyces antibioticus. We show that the rpsO-pnp operon is transcribed from at least two promoters, the first producing a readthrough transcript that includes both pnp and the gene for ribosomal protein S15 (rpsO) and a second, Ppnp, located in the rpsO-pnp intergenic region. Unlike the situation in Escherichia coli, where observation of the readthrough transcript requires mutants lacking RNase III, we detect readthrough transcripts in wild-type S. antibioticus mycelia. The Ppnp transcriptional start point was mapped by primer extension and confirmed by RNA ligase-mediated reverse transcription-PCR, a technique which discriminates between 5' ends created by transcription initiation and those produced by posttranscriptional processing. Promoter probe analysis demonstrated the presence of a functional promoter in the intergenic region. The Ppnp sequence is similar to a group of promoters recognized by the extracytoplasmic function sigma factors, sigma-R and sigma-E. We note a number of other differences in rspO-pnp structure and function between S. antibioticus and E. coli. In E. coli, pnp autoregulation and cold shock adaptation are dependent upon RNase III cleavage of an rpsO-pnp intergenic hairpin. Computer modeling of the secondary structure of the S. antibioticus readthrough transcript predicts a stem-loop structure analogous to that in E. coli. However, our analysis suggests that while the readthrough transcript observed in S. antibioticus may be processed by an RNase III-like activity, transcripts originating from Ppnp are not. Furthermore, the S. antibioticus rpsO-pnp intergenic region contains two open reading frames. The larger of these, orfA, may be a pseudogene. The smaller open reading frame, orfX, also observed in Streptomyces coelicolor and Streptomyces avermitilis, may be translationally coupled to pnp and the gene downstream from pnp, a putative protease.

Mosquito larvicidal activity of transgenic Anabaena PCC 7120 expressing toxin genes from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis

Genes encoding the mosquito larvicidal toxins Cry4Aa, Cry11Aa, Cyt1Aa and the regulatory P20 from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis were introduced into the nitrogen-fixing, filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120 for expression under control of two strong promoters P(psbA) and P(A1). The clone pRVE4-ADRC displayed toxicity against fourth-instar larvae of Aedes aegypti, the highest ever achieved in cyanobacteria. It was about 2.5-fold more toxic than the respective clone without cyt1Aa [Wu et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63 (1997) 4971-4975]. Cyt1Aa synergized the combination of Crys by about five-fold. Consistently, the lethal times exerted by pRVE4-ADRC were also reduced (it killed exposed larvae more quickly). This clone may become a useful biological control agent which reduces the probability of resistance development in the target organisms [Wirth et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94 (1997) 10536-10540].

Identification of a novel protein from glial cells based on its ability to interact with NF-?B subunitsr

Nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) represents a family of inducible DNA-binding transcription factors whose activity is critical for expression of the HIV-1 genome in a broad range of cells. In addition to its interaction with the kappaB DNA sequence, the association of NF-kappaB subunits with other cellular proteins plays an important role in stimulation of HIV-1 gene transcription in astrocytic cells. Here, we utilized a yeast two-hybrid system to screen a cDNA library from a human astrocytic cell line and were able to isolate a partial cDNA belonging to a gene with an open reading frame of 1,871 amino acid residues which binds to both the p50 and p65 subunits of NF-kappaB. This gene, named NF-kappaB-binding protein (NFBP) is located on chromosome 10q24.2-25.1 and hybridized to a single transcript of nearly 6 kb in size. It is localized to the nucleus, specifically the nucleolus of cells. Extensive computer analysis was performed with the sequence of the full length NFBP and significant homology was found between NFBP, and yeast and mouse proteins. A discussion of the potential roles of NFBP in normal and viral infected cells is included.

Instability of sensory histidine kinase mRNAs in Escherichia coli

BACKGROUND

Regulating mRNA stability is one of the essential mechanisms in gene expression. In order to identify genes from Escherichia coli whole genome whose expression is effectively modulated during the process of mRNA decay, we previously performed differential display-PCR as the first step. In the screening, it was suggested that two mRNAs from the histidine kinase genes, narX and yojN, in a two-component signal transduction system, were extremely unstable. In this study we analysed the stability of sensory kinase mRNAs, e.g. arcB, barA, rcsC, narQ, narX and evgS mRNA.

RESULTS

The cellular level of the histidine kinase mRNAs was very low and the mRNAs were rapidly degraded in wild-type cells cultured at 37 degrees C in LB medium. Additional experiments using RNase E deficient cells indicated that the mRNAs existed abundantly and expressed a prolonged half-life in the cells. Monocistronic transcripts of the cognate response regulator genes, arcA, rcsB, narP and narL have a half-life of 1.5-3.4 min.

CONCLUSIONS

mRNAs of the six histidine kinase genes in E. coli are synthesized efficiently, but rapidly degraded in wild-type cells.

Dynamic response of catabolic pathways to autoacidification in Lactococcus lactis: transcript profiling and stability in relation to metabolic and energetic constraints

The dynamic response of the central metabolic pathways to autoacidification (accumulation of organic acid fermentation products) in Lactococcus lactis was investigated in a global manner by integrating molecular data (cellular transcript concentrations, mRNA turnover) within physiological investigations of metabolic and energetic parameters. The decrease in pH associated with the accumulation of organic acids modified the physiological state of the cell considerably. Cytoplasmic acidification led to inhibition of enzyme activities and, consequently, to a diminished catabolic flux through glycolysis and a decreased rate of biochemical energy synthesis. This decrease in energy production together with the increased energy expenditure to counter cytoplasmic acidification led to energetic limitations for biomass synthesis. In these conditions, the specific growth rate decreased progressively, and growth ultimately stopped, although a diminished catabolic flux was maintained in the absence of growth. The cellular response to this phenomenon was to maintain significant levels of mRNA of catabolic genes, involving both continued transcription of the genes and also, in certain cases, an increase in transcript stability. Thus, translation was maintained, and intracellular concentration of certain enzymes increased, partially compensating for the inhibition of activity provoked by the diminished pH. When catabolic activity ceased after prolonged exposure to stress-induced stationary phase, endogenous RNA catabolism was observed.

An mRNA degrading complex in Rhodobacter capsulatus

An RNA degrading, high molecular weight complex was purified from Rhodobacter capsulatus. N-terminal sequencing, glycerol-gradient centrifugation, and immunoaffinity purification as well as functional assays were used to determine the physical and biochemical characteristics of the complex. The complex comprises RNase E and two DEAD-box RNA helicases of 74 and 65 kDa, respectively. Most surprisingly, the transcription termination factor Rho is a major, firmly associated component of the degradosome.

Understanding the art of producing protein and nonprotein molecules in Escherichia coli

The high-level production of functional proteins in E. coli is a very extense field of research in biotechnology. A number of important aspects to be considered in the initial design of an expression system and their interplay, were clear years ago. However, in recent times, strategies that go beyond transcription, translation, stability, vector, and strain choice, have been developed; so now expression of active peptides can be viewed as a more integrated process. Coexpression of protein subunits, foldases and chaperones, protein folding, location and purification schemes, metabolic engineering of the cell's central metabolism, and in vitro refolding strategies, are some of the novelties that are now available to aid in the success of an efficient expression system for active heterologous proteins. This review presents a compilation of the basic issues that influence the success in the production of protein and nonprotein products in Escherichia coli, as well as some general strategies designed to facilitate downstream process operations and improve biosynthesis yields.

Preferential cleavage of degradative intermediates of rpsT mRNA by the Escherichia coli RNA degradosome

RNase E, the principal RNase capable of initiating mRNA decay, preferentially attacks 5'-monophosphorylated over 5'-triphosphorylated substrates. Site-specific cleavage in vitro of the rpsT mRNA by RNase H directed by chimeric 2'-O-methyl oligonucleotides was employed to create truncated RNAs which are identical to authentic degradative intermediates. The rates of cleavage of two such intermediates by RNase E in the RNA degradosome are significantly faster (2.5- to 8-fold) than that of intact RNA. This verifies the preference of RNase E for degradative intermediates and can explain the frequent "all-or-none" behavior of mRNAs during the decay process.

Unpaired terminal nucleotides and 5' monophosphorylation govern 3' polyadenylation by Escherichia coli poly(A) polymerase I

In bacteria, most mRNAs and certain regulatory RNAs are rapidly turned over, whereas mature tRNA and ribosomal RNA are highly stable. The selective susceptibility of unstable Escherichia coli RNAs to 3' polyadenylation by the pcnB gene product, poly(A) polymerase I (PAP I), in vivo is a key factor in their rapid degradation by 3' to 5' exonucleases. Using highly purified His-tagged recombinant PAP I, we show that differential adenylation of RNA substrates by PAP I occurs in vitro and that this capability resides in PAP I itself rather than in any ancillary protein(s). Surprisingly, the efficiency of 3' polyadenylation is affected by substrate structure at both termini; single-strand segments at either the 5' or 3' end of RNA molecules and monophosphorylation at an unpaired 5' terminus dramatically increase the rate and length of 3' poly(A) tail additions by PAP I. Our results provide a mechanistic basis for the susceptibility of certain RNAs to 3' polyadenylation. They also suggest a model of "programmed" RNA decay in which endonucleolytically generated RNA fragments containing single-stranded monophosphorylated 5' termini are targeted for poly(A) addition and further degradation.

Transcriptional and post-transcriptional control of polynucleotide phosphorylase during cold acclimation in Escherichia coli

Polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase, polyribonucleotide nucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.8) is one of the cold shock-induced proteins in Escherichia coli and pnp, the gene encoding it, is essential for growth at low temperatures. We have analysed the expression of pnp upon cold shock and found a dramatic transient variation of pnp transcription profile: within the first hour after temperature downshift the amount of pnp transcripts detectable by Northern blotting increased more than 10-fold and new mRNA species that cover pnp and the downstream region, including the cold shock gene deaD, appeared; 2 h after temperature downshift the transcription profile reverted to a preshift-like pattern in a PNPase-independent manner. The higher amount of pnp transcripts appeared to be mainly due to an increased stability of the RNAs. The abundance of pnp transcripts was not paralleled by comparable variation of the protein: PNPase steadily increased about twofold during the first 3 h at low temperature, as determined both by Western blotting and enzymatic activity assay, suggesting that PNPase, unlike other known cold shock proteins, is not efficiently translated in the acclimation phase. In experiments aimed at assessing the role of PNPase in autogenous control during cold shock, we detected a Rho-dependent termination site within pnp. In the cold acclimation phase, termination at this site depended upon the presence of PNPase, suggesting that during cold shock pnp is autogenously regulated at the level of transcription elongation.

Identification of the urease operon in Helicobacter pylori and its control by mRNA decay in response to pH

We investigated the transcription of the urease gene cluster ureABIEFGH in Helicobacter pylori to determine the regulation of gene expression of the highly produced enzyme urease. Northern blot hybridization analysis demonstrated that cells of the wild-type strain grown in an ordinary broth had transcripts of ureAB, ureABI, ureI, ureIE' and ure'FGH, but cells of a ureI-disrupted mutant had only the ureAB transcript. When the wild-type cells were exposed to pH 8 for 30 min, very little mRNA was detected. However, when exposed to pH 6, a large amount of the ureIE" transcript, which was longer than the ureIE' transcript, together with the additional transcripts ureABIEFGH and ure'EFGH were detected. Rifampicin addition experiments demonstrated that urease mRNAs, and the ureIE' transcripts in particular, are more stable at pH 5.5 than at pH 7. In accord with these results, urease activity in the crude cell extract of the pH 5.5 culture was twice as much as that of the pH 7 culture, although the amounts of UreA and UreB detected by immunoblot analysis were similar. The transcription start point of ureI was identified by primer extension using a ureA promoter-deleted mutant, and a consensus sequence of RpoD-RNA polymerase was found in the ureI promoter. The 3' end of the ureIE" mRNA, determined using S1 nuclease mapping, revealed that the transcript is able to cover the majority of the ureE open reading frame (ORF) that might be sufficient for UreE activity. Based on the above results, we conclude that the urease gene cluster of H. pylori consists of two operons, ureAB and ureIEFGH, and that primary transcripts of the latter as well as the read-through transcript, ureABIEFGH, are cleaved to produce several species of mRNA. It has been suggested that the ureIEFGH operon is regulated post-transcriptionally by mRNA decay in response to environmental pH. We are tempted to speculate that the ureE" transcript present in acidic pH may contribute to produce an active product that can proceed the nickel incorporation to the active centre, the final step of urease biosynthesis.

Messenger RNA stability and its role in control of gene expression in bacteria and phages

The stability of mRNA in prokaryotes depends on multiple factors and it has not yet been possible to describe the process of mRNA degradation in terms of a unique pathway. However, important advances have been made in the past 10 years with the characterization of the cis-acting RNA elements and the trans-acting cellular proteins that control mRNA decay. The trans-acting proteins are mainly four nucleases, two endo- (RNase E and RNase III) and two exonucleases (PNPase and RNase II), and poly(A) polymerase. RNase E and PNPase are found in a multienzyme complex called the degradosome. In addition to the host nucleases, phage T4 encodes a specific endonuclease called RegB. The cis-acting elements that protect mRNA from degradation are stable stem-loops at the 5' end of the transcript and terminators or REP sequences at their 3' end. The rate-limiting step in mRNA decay is usually an initial endonucleolytic cleavage that often occurs at the 5' extremity. This initial step is followed by directional 3' to 5' degradation by the two exonucleases. Several examples, reviewed here, indicate that mRNA degradation is an important step at which gene expression can be controlled. This regulation can be either global, as in the case of growth rate-dependent control, or specific, in response to changes in the environmental conditions.

The gene encoding IIAB(Man)L in Streptococcus salivarius is part of a tetracistronic operon encoding a phosphoenolpyruvate: mannose/glucose phosphotransferase system

Glucose and mannose are transported in streptococci by the mannose-PTS (phosphoenolpyruvate:mannose phosphotransferase system), which consists of a cytoplasmic IIAB protein, called IIAB(Man), and an uncharacterized membrane permease. This paper reports the characterization of the man operon encoding the specific components of the mannose-PTS of Streptococcus salivarius. The man operon was composed of four genes, manL, manM, manN and manO. These genes were transcribed from a canonical promoter (Pman) into a 3.6 kb polycistronic mRNA that contained a 5'-UTR (untranslated region). The predicted manL gene product encoded a 35.5 kDa protein and contained the amino acid sequences of the IIA and IIB phosphorylation sites already determined from purified S. salivarius IIAB(Man)L. Expression of manL in Escherichia coli generated a 35 kDa protein that reacted with anti-IIAB(Man)L antibodies. The predicted ManM protein had an estimated size of 27.2 kDa. ManM had similarity with IIC domains of the mannose-EII family, but did not possess the signature proposed for mannose-IIC proteins from Gram-negative bacteria. From multiple alignment analyses of sequences available in current databases, the following modified IIC(Man) signature is proposed: GX3G[DNH]X3G[LIVM]2XG2[STL][LT][EQ]. The deduced product of manN was a hydrophobic protein with a predicted molecular mass of 33.4 kDa. The ManN protein contained an amino acid sequence similar to the signature sequence of the IID domains of the mannose-EII family. manO encoded a 13.7 kDa protein. This gene was also transcribed as a monocistronic mRNA from a promoter located in the manN-manO intergenic region. A search of current databases revealed the presence of IIAB(Man)L, ManM, ManN and ManO orthologues in Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecalis. This work has elucidated the molecular structure of the mannose PTS in streptococci and enterococci, and demonstrated the presence of a putative regulatory protein (ManO) within the man operon.

Characterization of the E.coli poly(A) polymerase: nucleotide specificity, RNA-binding affinities and RNA structure dependence

Polyadenylation of RNA molecules in bacteria and chloroplasts has been implicated as part of the RNA degradation pathway. The polyadenylation reaction is performed in Escherichia coli mainly by the enzyme poly(A) polymerase I (PAP I). In order to understand the molecular mechanism of RNA poly-adenylation in bacteria, we characterized the biochemical properties of this reaction in vitro using the purified enzyme. Unlike the PAP from yeast nucleus, which is specific for ATP, E.coli PAP I can use all four nucleotide triphosphates as substrates for addition of long ribohomopolymers to RNA. PAP I displays a high binding activity to poly(U), poly(C) and poly(A) ribohomopolymers, but not to poly(G). The 3'-ends of most of the mRNA molecules in bacteria are characterized by a stem-loop structure. We show here that in vitro PAP I activity is inhibited by a stem-loop structure. A tail of two to six nucleo-tides located 3' to the stem-loop structure is sufficient to overcome this inhibition. These results suggest that the stem-loop structure located in most of the mRNA 3'-ends may function as an inhibitor of poly-adenylation and degradation of the corresponding RNA molecule. However, RNA 3'-ends produced by endonucleolytic cleavage by RNase E in single-strand regions of mRNA molecules may serve as efficient substrates for polyadenylation that direct these molecules for rapid exonucleolytic degradation.

Different processing of an mRNA species in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli

Expression of the Bacillus subtilis glpD gene, which encodes glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) dehydrogenase, is controlled by termination or antitermination of transcription. The untranslated leader sequence of glpD contains an inverted repeat that gives rise to a transcription terminator. In the presence of G3P, the antiterminator protein GlpP binds to glpD leader mRNA and promotes readthrough of the terminator. Certain mutations in the inverted repeat of the glpD leader result in GlpP-independent, temperature-sensitive (TS) expression of glpD. The TS phenotype is due to temperature-dependent degradation of the glpD mRNA. In the presence of GlpP, the glpD mRNA is stabilized. glpD leader-lacZ fusions were integrated into the chromosomes of B. subtilis and Escherichia coli. Determination of steady-state levels of fusion mRNA in B. subtilis showed that the stability of the fusion mRNA is determined by the glpD leader part. Comparison of steady-state levels and half-lives of glpD leader-lacZ fusion mRNA in B. subtilis and E. coli revealed significant differences. A glpD leader-lacZ fusion transcript that was unstable in B. subtilis was considerably more stable in E. coli. GlpP, which stabilizes the transcript in B. subtilis, did not affect its stability in E. coli. Primer extension analysis showed that the glpD leader-lacZ fusion transcript is processed differently in B. subtilis and in E. coli. The dominating cleavage site in E. coli was barely detectable in B. subtilis. This site was shown to be a target of E. coli RNase III.

Initial events in the degradation of the polycistronic puf mRNA in Rhodobacter capsulatus and consequences for further processing steps

Individual segments of the polycistronic puf mRNA of Rhodobacter capsulatus exhibit extremely different half-lives contributing to the stoichiometry of light-harvesting and reaction centre complexes of this facultative phototrophic bacterium. While earlier investigations shed light on the processes leading to the degradation of the 2.7 kb pufBALMX mRNA and, consequently, to the formation of the highly stable 0.5 kb pufBA mRNA processing product, we have now investigated the initial events in the degradation of the highly unstable 3.2 kb pufQBALMX primary transcript. Sequence modifications of two putative RNase E recognition sites within the pufQ coding region provide strong evidence that RNase E-mediated cleavage of a sequence at the 3' end of pufQ is involved in rate-limiting cleavage of the primary pufQBALMX transcript in vivo. The putative RNase E recognition sequence at the 5' end of pufQ is cleaved in vitro but does not contribute to rate-limiting cleavage in vivo. Analysis of the decay of puf mRNA segments transcribed from wild-type and mutated puf DNA sequences in R. capsulatus and Escherichia coli reveal that RNase E-mediated cleavage within the pufQ mRNA sequence also affects the stability of the 0.5 kb pufBA processing product. These findings demonstrate that the stability of a certain mRNA segment depends on the pathway of processing of its precursor molecule.

Alternative splicing regulates the production of ARD-1 endoribonuclease and NIPP-1, an inhibitor of protein phosphatase-1, as isoforms encoded by the same gene

ARD-1 is an endoribonuclease identified initially as the product of a human cDNA that complements mutations in rne, a gene that encodes Escherichia coli ribonuclease E. NIPP-1 was identified in bovine nuclear extracts as an inhibitor of protein phosphatase-1. Earlier work has shown that the protein-coding sequence of ARD-1 is identical to the carboxy-terminal third of NIPP-1. However, whether ARD-1 is present in eukaryotes as a distinct entity has been unclear, as neither ARD-1-specific transcripts nor ARD-1 protein were detected in mammalian cells in earlier studies. Here we show that ARD-1 exists in human cells as a discrete protein, and that the ARD-1 and NIPP-1 peptides are isoforms encoded by a single gene and the same alternatively spliced precursor RNA. A retained intron containing multiple translation stop codons that are configured to terminate translation and initiate nonsense-mediated decay, limits the production of cellular ARD-1 protein. Our results establish the process by which functionally disparate ARD-1 and NIPP-1 peptides are generated from the protein-coding sequence of the same gene in human cells.

Absence of RNASE III alters the pathway by which RNAI, the antisense inhibitor of ColE1 replication, decays

RNAI is a short RNA, 108 nt in length, which regulates the replication of the plasmid ColE1. RNAI turns over rapidly, enabling plasmid replication rate to respond quickly to changes in plasmid copy number. Because RNAI is produced in abundance, is easily extracted and turns over quickly, it has been used as a model for mRNA in studying RNA decay pathways. The enzymes polynucleotide phosphorylase, poly(A) polymerase and RNase E have been demonstrated to have roles in both messenger and RNAI decay; it is reported here that these enzymes can work independently of one another to facilitate RNAI decay. The roles in RNAI decay of two further enzymes which facilitate mRNA decay, the exonuclease RNase II and the endonuclease RNase III, are also examined. RNase II does not appear to accelerate RNAI decay but it is found that, in the absence of RNase III, polyadenylated RNAI, unprocessed by RNase E, accumulates. It is also shown that RNase III can cut RNAI near nt 82 or 98 in vitro. An RNAI fragment corresponding to the longer of these can be found in extracts of an mc+ pcnB strain (which produces RNase III) but not of an rnc pcnB strain, suggesting that RNAI may be a substrate for RNase III in vivo. A possible pathway for the early steps in RNAI decay which incorporates this information is suggested.

RNase E is required for the maturation of ssrA RNA and normal ssrA RNA peptide-tagging activity

During recent studies of ribonucleolytic "degradosome" complexes of Escherichia coli, we found that degradosomes contain certain RNAs as well as RNase E and other protein components. One of these RNAs is ssrA (for small stable RNA) RNA (also known as tm RNA or 10Sa RNA), which functions as both a tRNA and mRNA to tag the C-terminal ends of truncated proteins with a short peptide and target them for degradation. Here, we show that mature 363-nt ssrA RNA is generated by RNase E cleavage at the CCA-3' terminus of a 457-nt ssrA RNA precursor and that interference with this cleavage in vivo leads to accumulation of the precursor and blockage of SsrA-mediated proteolysis. These results demonstrate that RNase E is required to produce mature ssrA RNA and for normal ssrA RNA peptide-tagging activity. Our findings indicate that RNase E, an enzyme already known to have a central role in RNA processing and decay in E. coli, also has the previously unsuspected ability to affect protein degradation through its role in maturation of the 3' end of ssrA RNA.

The C-terminal half of RNase E, which organizes the Escherichia coli degradosome, participates in mRNA degradation but not rRNA processing in vivo

RNase E is an essential Escherichia coli endonuclease, which controls both 5S rRNA maturation and bulk mRNA decay. While the C-terminal half of this 1061-residue protein associates with polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) and several other enzymes into a 'degradosome', only the N-terminal half, which carries the catalytic activity, is required for growth. We characterize here a mutation (rne131 ) that yields a metabolically stable polypeptide lacking the last 477 residues of RNAse E. This mutation resembles the N-terminal conditional mutation rne1 in stabilizing mRNAs, both in bulk and individually, but differs from it in leaving rRNA processing and cell growth unaffected. Another mutation (rne105 ) removing the last 469 residues behaves similarly. Thus, the C-terminal half of RNase E is instrumental in degrading mRNAs, but dispensable for processing rRNA. A plausible interpretation is that the former activity requires that RNase E associates with other degradosome proteins; however, PNPase is not essential, as RNase E remains fully active towards mRNAs in rne+pnp mutants. All mRNAs are not stabilized equally by the rne131 mutation: the greater their susceptibility to RNase E, the larger the stabilization. Artificial mRNAs generated by E. coli expression systems based on T7 RNA polymerase can be genuinely unstable, and we show that the mutation can improve the yield of such systems without compromising cell growth.

Function, mechanism and regulation of bacterial ribonucleases

The maturation and degradation of RNA molecules are essential features of the mechanism of gene expression, and provide the two main points for post-transcriptional regulation. Cells employ a functionally diverse array of nucleases to carry out RNA maturation and turnover. Viruses also employ cellular ribonucleases, or even use their own in their reproductive cycles. Studies on bacterial ribonucleases, and in particular those from Escherichia coli, are providing insight into ribonuclease structure, mechanism, and regulation. Ongoing biochemical and genetic analyses are revealing that many ribonucleases are phylogenetically conserved, and exhibit overlapping functional roles and perhaps common catalytic mechanisms. This article reviews the salient features of bacterial ribonucleases, with a focus on those of E. coli, and in particular, ribonuclease III. RNase III participates in a number of RNA maturation and RNA decay pathways, and is regulated by phosphorylation in the T7 phage-infected cell. Plasmid and phage RNAs, in addition to cellular transcripts, are RNase III targets. RNase III orthologues occur in eukaryotic cells, and play key functional roles. As such, RNase III provides an important model with which to understand mechanisms of RNA maturation, RNA decay, and gene regulation.

mRNA degradation in bacteria

Messenger RNAs in prokaryotes exhibit short half-lives when compared with eukaryotic mRNAs. Considerable progress has been made during recent years in our understanding of mRNA degradation in bacteria. Two major aspects determine the life span of a messenger in the bacterial cell. On the side of the substrate, the structural features of mRNA have a profound influence on the stability of the molecule. On the other hand, there is the degradative machinery. Progress in the biochemical characterization of proteins involved in mRNA degradation has made clear that RNA degradation is a highly organized cellular process in which several protein components, and not only nucleases, are involved. In Escherichia coli, these proteins are organized in a high molecular mass complex, the degradosome. The key enzyme for initial events in mRNA degradation and for the assembly of the degradosome is endoribonuclease E. We discuss the identified components of the degradosome and its mode of action. Since research in mRNA degradation suffers from dominance of E. coli-related observations we also look to other organisms to ask whether they could possibly follow the E. coli standard model.

Decay of rplN and lacZ mRNA in Escherichia coli

To examine the previously proposed retroregulation model of spc mRNA degradation, two strains of Escherichia coli B/r were used; one has wild-type spc and lac operons and the other has a lac operon deletion, a wild-type spc operon, and a Pspc-rplN-lacZ fusion operon lacking the normal control sites of the spc operon (rplN is the first gene in the spc operon of ribosomal proteins). The decay of rplN mRNA and of lacZ mRNA in these strains was determined during exponential growth at different rates and after transcript initiation was inhibited by the antibiotic rifampicin. Functional decay of lacZ mRNA was monitored by measurements of beta-galactosidase activity and chemical decay was monitored using probes complementary to rplN, rplX, and to the 5' and 3'-terminal sections of lacZ. Analysis of the data was based on the assumption that the decay involves an endonucleolytic cleavage that functionally inactivates the mRNA and that this is followed by exonucleolytic degradation of the cleavage products. The major conclusions were: (1) During exponential growth, lacZ mRNA of the lac operon was translated about twice as frequently as lacZ mRNA of the spc-lac fusion, and both kinds of lacZ mRNA were translated at an elevated rate in the presence of rifampicin. (2) For lacZ mRNA from the lac operon, the endonuclease inactivation reaction was not affected by rifampicin, but the exonuclease reaction was inhibited. (3) The decay of rplN mRNA from the spc operon was accelerated in the presence of rifampicin; the average life was estimated to be six minutes during exponential growth in LB medium, and 2.8 minutes in the presence of rifampicin. (4) The decay of the rplN section of mRNA from the spc-lac operon fusion was coupled to the decay of the downstream lacZ mRNA section and was strongly inhibited (i.e. partially blocked) in the presence of rifampicin. These results show that the decay of spc mRNA differs in some important aspects from the decay of lac mRNA and support the retroregulation model. Moreover, the results indicate that rifampicin can have a significant and selective impact on the kinetics of both mRNA translation and decay.

Poly(A) polymerase I of Escherichia coli: characterization of the catalytic domain, an RNA binding site and regions for the interaction with proteins involved in mRNA degradation

Poly(A) polymerase I (PAP I) of Escherichia coli is a member of the nucleotidyltransferase (Ntr) superfamily that includes the eukaryotic PAPs and all the known tRNA CCA-adding enzymes. Five highly conserved aspartic acids in the putative catalytic site of PAP I were changed to either alanine or proline, demonstrating their importance for polymerase activity. A glycine that is absolutely conserved in all Ntrs was also changed yielding a novel mutant protein in which ATP was wastefully hydrolysed in a primer-independent reaction. This is the first work to characterize the catalytic site of a eubacterial PAP and, despite the conservation of certain sequences, we predict that the overall architecture of the eukaryotic and eubacterial active sites is likely to be different. Binding sites for RNase E, a component of the RNA degradosome, and RNA were mapped by North-western and Far-western blotting using truncated forms of PAP I. Additional protein-protein interactions were detected between PAP I and CsdA, RhlE and SrmB, suggesting an unexpected connection between PAP I and these E. coli DEAD box RNA helicases. These results show that the functional organization of PAP I is similar to the eukaryotic PAPs with an N-terminal catalytic domain, a C-terminal RNA binding domain and sites for the interaction with other protein factors.

Preferential degradation of polyadenylated and polyuridinylated RNAs by the bacterial exoribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase

Polyadenylation of mRNA has been shown to target the RNA molecule for rapid exonucleolytic degradation in bacteria. To elucidate the molecular mechanism governing this effect, we determined whether the Escherichia coli exoribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) preferably degrades polyadenylated RNA. When separately incubated with each molecule, isolated PNPase degraded polyadenylated and non-polyadenylated RNAs at similar rates. However, when the two molecules were mixed together, the polyadenylated RNA was degraded, whereas the non-polyadenylated RNA was stabilized. The same phenomenon was observed with polyuridinylated RNA. The poly(A) tail has to be located at the 3' end of the RNA, as the addition of several other nucleotides at the 3' end prevented competition for polyadenylated RNA. In RNA-binding experiments, E. coli PNPase bound to poly(A) and poly(U) sequences with much higher affinity than to poly(C) and poly(G). This high binding affinity defines poly(A) and poly(U) RNAs as preferential substrates for this enzyme. The high affinity of PNPase for polyadenylated RNA molecules may be part of the molecular mechanism by which polyadenylated RNA is preferentially degraded in bacterial cells.

Degradation of mRNA in Escherichia coli: an old problem with some new twists

Metabolic instability is a hallmark property of mRNAs in most if not all organisms and plays an essential role in facilitating rapid responses to regulatory cues. This article provides a critical examination of recent progress in the enzymology of mRNA decay in Escherichia coli, focusing on six major enzymes: RNase III, RNase E, polynucleotide phosphorylase, RNase II, poly(A) polymerase(s), and RNA helicase(s). The first major advance in our thinking about mechanisms of RNA decay has been catalyzed by the possibility that mRNA decay is orchestrated by a multicomponent mRNA-protein complex (the "degradosome"). The ramifications of this discovery are discussed and developed into mRNA decay models that integrate the properties of the ribonucleases and their associated proteins, the role of RNA structure in determining the susceptibility of an RNA to decay, and some of the known kinetic features of mRNA decay. These models propose that mRNA decay is a vectorial process initiated primarily at or near the 5' terminus of susceptible mRNAs and propagated by successive endonucleolytic cleavages catalyzed by RNase E in the degradosome. It seems likely that the degradosome can be tethered to its substrate, either physically or kinetically through a preference for monphosphorylated RNAs, accounting for the usual "all or none" nature of mRNA decay. A second recent advance in our thinking about mRNA decay is the rediscovery of polyadenylated mRNA in bacteria. Models are provided to account for the role of polyadenylation in facilitating the 3' exonucleolytic degradation of structured RNAs. Finally, we have reviewed the documented properties of several well-studied paradigms for mRNA decay in E. coli. We interpret the published data in light of our models and the properties of the degradosome. It seems likely that the study of mRNA decay is about to enter a phase in which research will focus on the structural basis for recognition of cleavage sites, on catalytic mechanisms, and on regulation of mRNA decay.

mRNA degradation. A tale of poly(A) and multiprotein machines

The Escherichia coli RNA degradosome is a multiprotein complex containing an endoribonuclease, polynucleotide phosphorylase and a DEAD-box RNA helicase. A related complex has been described in the spinach chloroplast. The exosome and the mtEXO complex have recently been described in yeast and it is likely that related complexes also exist in animal cells. This research suggests the widespread existence of sophisticated machines for the efficient degradation of messenger RNA. The DEAD-box helicase in the degradosome can unwind regions of RNA structure that interfere with 3'-5' degradation. The polyadenylation of RNA 3' ends is also known to promote degradation by creating a 'toehold' for the degradation machinery. Much remains to be learned about the regulation of mRNA stability. The complexity of the degradation process, both in the eubacteria and in the eukaryotes, suggests that many steps are possible points of control.

Ribonuclease E is a 5'-end-dependent endonuclease

The selective degradation of messenger RNAs enables cells to regulate the levels of particular mRNAs in response to changes in the environment. Ribonuclease (RNase) E, a single-strand-specific endonuclease that is found in a multi-enzyme complex known as the 'degradosome', initiates the degradation of many mRNAs in Escherichia coli. Its relative lack of sequence specificity and the presence of many potential cleavage sites in mRNA substrates cannot explain why mRNA decay frequently proceeds in a net 5'-to-3' direction. I have prepared covalently closed circular derivatives of natural substrates, the rpsT mRNA encoding ribosomal protein S20 and the 9S precursor to 5S ribosomal RNA, and find that these derivatives are considerably more resistant to cleavage in vitro by RNase E than are linear molecules. Moreover, antisense oligo-deoxynucleotides complementary to the 5' end of linear substrates significantly reduce the latter's susceptibility to attack by RNase E. Finally, natural substrates with terminal 5'-triphosphate groups are poorly cleaved by RNase E in vitro, whereas 5' monophosphorylated substrates are strongly preferred. These results show that RNase E has inherent vectorial properties, with its activity depending on the 5' end of its substrates; this can account for the direction of mRNA decay in E. coli, the phenomenon of 'all or none' mRNA decay, and the stabilization provided by 5' stem-loop structures.

Bacillus thuringiensis and its pesticidal crystal proteins

During the past decade the pesticidal bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis has been the subject of intensive research. These efforts have yielded considerable data about the complex relationships between the structure, mechanism of action, and genetics of the organism's pesticidal crystal proteins, and a coherent picture of these relationships is beginning to emerge. Other studies have focused on the ecological role of the B. thuringiensis crystal proteins, their performance in agricultural and other natural settings, and the evolution of resistance mechanisms in target pests. Armed with this knowledge base and with the tools of modern biotechnology, researchers are now reporting promising results in engineering more-useful toxins and formulations, in creating transgenic plants that express pesticidal activity, and in constructing integrated management strategies to insure that these products are utilized with maximum efficiency and benefit.

Ribonuclease E organizes the protein interactions in the Escherichia coli RNA degradosome

The Escherichia coli RNA degradosome is the prototype of a recently discovered family of multiprotein machines involved in the processing and degradation of RNA. The interactions between the various protein components of the RNA degradosome were investigated by Far Western blotting, the yeast two-hybrid assay, and coimmunopurification experiments. Our results demonstrate that the carboxy-terminal half (CTH) of ribonuclease E (RNase E) contains the binding sites for the three other major degradosomal components, the DEAD-box RNA helicase RhlB, enolase, and polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase). The CTH of RNase E acts as the scaffold of the complex upon which the other degradosomal components are assembled. Regions for oligomerization were detected in the amino-terminal and central regions of RNase E. Furthermore, polypeptides derived from the highly charged region of RNase E, containing the RhlB binding site, stimulate RhlB activity at least 15-fold, saturating at one polypeptide per RhlB molecule. A model for the regulation of the RhlB RNA helicase activity is presented. The description of RNase E now emerging is that of a remarkably complex multidomain protein containing an amino-terminal catalytic domain, a central RNA-binding domain, and carboxy-terminal binding sites for the other major components of the RNA degradosome.

Degradation pathway of CopA, the antisense RNA that controls replication of plasmid R1

RNA decay in bacteria is carried out by a number of enzymes that participate in the coordinated degradation of their substrates. Endo- and exonucleolytic cleavages as well as polyadenylation are generally involved in determining the half-life of RNAs. Small, untranslated antisense RNAs are suitable model systems to study decay. A study of the pathway of degradation of CopA, the copy number regulator RNA of plasmid R1, is reported here. Strains carrying mutations in the genes encoding RNase E, polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase), RNase II and poly(A) polymerase I (PcnB/PAP I)--alone or in combination--were used to investigate degradation patterns and relative half-lives of CopA. The results obtained suggest that RNase E initiates CopA decay. Both PNPase and RNase II can degrade the major 3'-cleavage product generated by RNase E. This exonucleolytic degradation is aided by PcnB, which may imply a requirement for A-tailing. RNase II can partially protect CopA's 3'-end from PNPase-dependent degradation. Other RNases are probably involved in decay, since in rnb/pnp double mutants, decay still occurs, albeit at a reduced rate. Experiments using purified RNase E identified cleavage sites in CopA in the vicinity of, but not identical to, those mapped in vivo, suggesting that the cleavage site specificity of this RNase is modulated by additional proteins in the cell. A model of CopA decay is presented and discussed.