1
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Wang P, Lin J, Zheng X, Xu X. RNase P: Beyond Precursor tRNA Processing. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2024; 22:qzae016. [PMID: 38862431 DOI: 10.1093/gpbjnl/qzae016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Ribonuclease P (RNase P) was first described in the 1970's as an endoribonuclease acting in the maturation of precursor transfer RNAs (tRNAs). More recent studies, however, have uncovered non-canonical roles for RNase P and its components. Here, we review the recent progress of its involvement in chromatin assembly, DNA damage response, and maintenance of genome stability with implications in tumorigenesis. The possibility of RNase P as a therapeutic target in cancer is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability & Disease Prevention and Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Juntao Lin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability & Disease Prevention and Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Xiangyang Zheng
- Shenzhen University General Hospital-Dehua Hospital Joint Research Center on Precision Medicine, Dehua Hospital, Dehua 362500, China
| | - Xingzhi Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability & Disease Prevention and Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
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2
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Jackson RW, Smathers CM, Robart AR. General Strategies for RNA X-ray Crystallography. Molecules 2023; 28:2111. [PMID: 36903357 PMCID: PMC10004510 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
An extremely small proportion of the X-ray crystal structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank are of RNA or RNA-protein complexes. This is due to three main obstacles to the successful determination of RNA structure: (1) low yields of pure, properly folded RNA; (2) difficulty creating crystal contacts due to low sequence diversity; and (3) limited methods for phasing. Various approaches have been developed to address these obstacles, such as native RNA purification, engineered crystallization modules, and incorporation of proteins to assist in phasing. In this review, we will discuss these strategies and provide examples of how they are used in practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aaron R. Robart
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 20506, USA
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3
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Chang JY, Cui Z, Yang K, Huang J, Minary P, Zhang J. Hierarchical natural move Monte Carlo refines flexible RNA structures into cryo-EM densities. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:1755-1766. [PMID: 32826323 PMCID: PMC7668250 DOI: 10.1261/rna.071100.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) play essential roles in living cells. Many of them fold into defined three-dimensional (3D) structures to perform functions. Recent advances in single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have enabled structure determinations of RNA to atomic resolutions. However, most RNA molecules are structurally flexible, limiting the resolution of their structures solved by cryo-EM. In modeling these molecules, several computational methods are limited by the requirement of massive computational resources and/or the low efficiency in exploring large-scale structural variations. Here we use hierarchical natural move Monte Carlo (HNMMC), which takes advantage of collective motions for groups of nucleic acid residues, to refine RNA structures into their cryo-EM maps, preserving atomic details in the models. After validating the method on a simulated density map of tRNA, we applied it to objectively obtain the model of the folding intermediate for the specificity domain of ribonuclease P from Bacillus subtilis and refine a flexible ribosomal RNA (rRNA) expansion segment from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) ribosome in different conformational states. Finally, we used HNMMC to model atomic details and flexibility for two distinct conformations of the complete genomic RNA (gRNA) inside MS2, a single-stranded RNA virus, revealing multiple pathways for its capsid assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeng-Yih Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
- Center for Phage Technology, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Zhicheng Cui
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
- Center for Phage Technology, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Kailu Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
- Center for Phage Technology, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Jianhua Huang
- Department of Statistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Peter Minary
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QD, United Kingdom
| | - Junjie Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
- Center for Phage Technology, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
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4
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Rahman MS, Gulshan MA, Matsumura S, Ikawa Y. Polyethylene glycol molecular crowders enhance the catalytic ability of bimolecular bacterial RNase P ribozymes. NUCLEOSIDES NUCLEOTIDES & NUCLEIC ACIDS 2020; 39:715-729. [PMID: 32039645 DOI: 10.1080/15257770.2019.1687909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The modular structure of bacterial ribonuclease P (RNase P) ribozymes, which recognize tertiary structures of precursor tRNAs (pre-tRNAs) to cleave their 5' leader sequence, can be dissected physically into the two structured domain RNAs (S-domain and C-domain). Separately prepared S-domain RNA and C-domain RNA assemble to form bimolecular forms of RNase P ribozymes. We analyzed the effects of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) on pre-tRNA cleavage catalyzed by bimolecular RNase P ribozymes to examine the effects of molecular crowding on the reaction. PEG molecular crowders significantly enhanced the activities of bimolecular RNase P ribozymes, some of which were hardly active without PEGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Sohanur Rahman
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Gofuku 3190, Toyama, Japan.,Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Gofuku 3190, Toyama, Japan
| | - Mst Ara Gulshan
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Gofuku 3190, Toyama, Japan.,Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Gofuku 3190, Toyama, Japan
| | - Shigeyoshi Matsumura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Gofuku 3190, Toyama, Japan.,Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Gofuku 3190, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yoshiya Ikawa
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Gofuku 3190, Toyama, Japan.,Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Gofuku 3190, Toyama, Japan
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5
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Catalytic RNA, ribozyme, and its applications in synthetic biology. Biotechnol Adv 2019; 37:107452. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.107452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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6
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Bonilla S, Limouse C, Bisaria N, Gebala M, Mabuchi H, Herschlag D. Single-Molecule Fluorescence Reveals Commonalities and Distinctions among Natural and in Vitro-Selected RNA Tertiary Motifs in a Multistep Folding Pathway. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:18576-18589. [PMID: 29185740 PMCID: PMC5748328 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b08870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Decades
of study of the RNA folding problem have revealed that
diverse and complex structured RNAs are built from a common set of
recurring structural motifs, leading to the perspective that a generalizable
model of RNA folding may be developed from understanding of the folding
properties of individual structural motifs. We used single-molecule
fluorescence to dissect the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of
a set of variants of a common tertiary structural motif, the tetraloop/tetraloop-receptor
(TL/TLR). Our results revealed a multistep TL/TLR folding pathway
in which preorganization of the ubiquitous AA-platform submotif precedes
the formation of the docking transition state and tertiary A-minor
hydrogen bond interactions form after the docking transition state.
Differences in ion dependences between TL/TLR variants indicated the
occurrence of sequence-dependent conformational rearrangements prior
to and after the formation of the docking transition state. Nevertheless,
varying the junction connecting the TL/TLR produced a common kinetic
and ionic effect for all variants, suggesting that the global conformational
search and compaction electrostatics are energetically independent
from the formation of the tertiary motif contacts. We also found that in vitro-selected variants, despite their similar stability
at high Mg2+ concentrations, are considerably less stable
than natural variants under near-physiological ionic conditions, and
the occurrence of the TL/TLR sequence variants in Nature correlates
with their thermodynamic stability in isolation. Overall, our findings
are consistent with modular but complex energetic properties of RNA
structural motifs and will aid in the eventual quantitative description
of RNA folding from its secondary and tertiary structural elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Bonilla
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Charles Limouse
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Namita Bisaria
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Magdalena Gebala
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Hideo Mabuchi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Daniel Herschlag
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
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7
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Abstract
This review provides a description of the known Escherichia coli ribonucleases (RNases), focusing on their structures, catalytic properties, genes, physiological roles, and possible regulation. Currently, eight E. coli exoribonucleases are known. These are RNases II, R, D, T, PH, BN, polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase), and oligoribonuclease (ORNase). Based on sequence analysis and catalytic properties, the eight exoribonucleases have been grouped into four families. These are the RNR family, including RNase II and RNase R; the DEDD family, including RNase D, RNase T, and ORNase; the RBN family, consisting of RNase BN; and the PDX family, including PNPase and RNase PH. Seven well-characterized endoribonucleases are known in E. coli. These are RNases I, III, P, E, G, HI, and HII. Homologues to most of these enzymes are also present in Salmonella. Most of the endoribonucleases cleave RNA in the presence of divalent cations, producing fragments with 3'-hydroxyl and 5'-phosphate termini. RNase H selectively hydrolyzes the RNA strand of RNA?DNA hybrids. Members of the RNase H family are widely distributed among prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms in three distinct lineages, RNases HI, HII, and HIII. It is likely that E. coli contains additional endoribonucleases that have not yet been characterized. First of all, endonucleolytic activities are needed for certain known processes that cannot be attributed to any of the known enzymes. Second, homologues of known endoribonucleases are present in E. coli. Third, endonucleolytic activities have been observed in cell extracts that have different properties from known enzymes.
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8
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Saito Y, Takeda J, Adachi K, Nobe Y, Kobayashi J, Hirota K, Oliveira DV, Taoka M, Isobe T. RNase MRP cleaves pre-tRNASer-Met in the tRNA maturation pathway. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112488. [PMID: 25401760 PMCID: PMC4234475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribonuclease mitochondrial RNA processing (RNase MRP) is a multifunctional ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex that is involved in the maturation of various types of RNA including ribosomal RNA. RNase MRP consists of a potential catalytic RNA and several protein components, all of which are required for cell viability. We show here that the temperature-sensitive mutant of rmp1, the gene for a unique protein component of RNase MRP, accumulates the dimeric tRNA precursor, pre-tRNASer-Met. To examine whether RNase MRP mediates tRNA maturation, we purified the RNase MRP holoenzyme from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and found that the enzyme directly and selectively cleaves pre-tRNASer-Met, suggesting that RNase MRP participates in the maturation of specific tRNA in vivo. In addition, mass spectrometry–based ribonucleoproteomic analysis demonstrated that this RNase MRP consists of one RNA molecule and 11 protein components, including a previously unknown component Rpl701. Notably, limited nucleolysis of RNase MRP generated an active catalytic core consisting of partial mrp1 RNA fragments, which constitute “Domain 1” in the secondary structure of RNase MRP, and 8 proteins. Thus, the present study provides new insight into the structure and function of RNase MRP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichiro Saito
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jun Takeda
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kousuke Adachi
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Nobe
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junya Kobayashi
- Division of Genome Repair Dynamics, Radiation Biology Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kouji Hirota
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Douglas V. Oliveira
- Division of Genome Repair Dynamics, Radiation Biology Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masato Taoka
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Isobe
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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9
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Abstract
Nearly two decades after Westhof and Michel first proposed that RNA tetraloops may interact with distal helices, tetraloop–receptor interactions have been recognized as ubiquitous elements of RNA tertiary structure. The unique architecture of GNRA tetraloops (N=any nucleotide, R=purine) enables interaction with a variety of receptors, e.g., helical minor grooves and asymmetric internal loops. The most common example of the latter is the GAAA tetraloop–11 nt tetraloop receptor motif. Biophysical characterization of this motif provided evidence for the modularity of RNA structure, with applications spanning improved crystallization methods to RNA tectonics. In this review, we identify and compare types of GNRA tetraloop–receptor interactions. Then we explore the abundance of structural, kinetic, and thermodynamic information on the frequently occurring and most widely studied GAAA tetraloop–11 nt receptor motif. Studies of this interaction have revealed powerful paradigms for structural assembly of RNA, as well as providing new insights into the roles of cations, transition states and protein chaperones in RNA folding pathways. However, further research will clearly be necessary to characterize other tetraloop–receptor and long-range tertiary binding interactions in detail – an important milestone in the quantitative prediction of free energy landscapes for RNA folding.
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10
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Ishikawa J, Fujita Y, Maeda Y, Furuta H, Ikawa Y. GNRA/receptor interacting modules: Versatile modular units for natural and artificial RNA architectures. Methods 2011; 54:226-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2010.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2010] [Revised: 12/08/2010] [Accepted: 12/08/2010] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
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11
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Liang R, Kierzek E, Kierzek R, Turner DH. Comparisons between chemical mapping and binding to isoenergetic oligonucleotide microarrays reveal unexpected patterns of binding to the Bacillus subtilis RNase P RNA specificity domain. Biochemistry 2010; 49:8155-68. [PMID: 20557101 PMCID: PMC2938832 DOI: 10.1021/bi100286n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2010] [Revised: 06/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Microarrays with isoenergetic pentamer and hexamer 2'-O-methyl oligonucleotide probes with LNA (locked nucleic acid) and 2,6-diaminopurine substitutions were used to probe the binding sites on the RNase P RNA specificity domain of Bacillus subtilis. Unexpected binding patterns were revealed. Because of their enhanced binding free energies, isoenergetic probes can break short duplexes, merge adjacent loops, and/or induce refolding. This suggests new approaches to the rational design of short oligonucleotide therapeutics but limits the utility of microarrays for providing constraints for RNA structure determination. The microarray results are compared to results from chemical mapping experiments, which do provide constraints. Results from both types of experiments indicate that the RNase P RNA folds similarly in 1 M Na(+) and 10 mM Mg(2+).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiting Liang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627
| | - Elzbieta Kierzek
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 60-714 Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Ryszard Kierzek
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 60-714 Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Douglas H. Turner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627
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12
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Abstract
Nuclear ribonuclease (RNase) P is a ubiquitous essential ribonucleoprotein complex, one of only two known RNA-based enzymes found in all three domains of life. The RNA component is the catalytic moiety of RNases P across all phylogenetic domains; it contains a well-conserved core, whereas peripheral structural elements are diverse. RNA components of eukaryotic RNases P tend to be less complex than their bacterial counterparts, a simplification that is accompanied by a dramatic reduction of their catalytic ability in the absence of protein. The size and complexity of the protein moieties increase dramatically from bacterial to archaeal to eukaryotic enzymes, apparently reflecting the delegation of some structural functions from RNA to proteins and, perhaps, in response to the increased complexity of the cellular environment in the more evolutionarily advanced organisms; the reasons for the increased dependence on proteins are not clear. We review current information on RNase P and the closely related universal eukaryotic enzyme RNase MRP, focusing on their functions and structural organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Esakova
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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13
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Sun FJ, Caetano-Anollés G. The ancient history of the structure of ribonuclease P and the early origins of Archaea. BMC Bioinformatics 2010; 11:153. [PMID: 20334683 PMCID: PMC2858038 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2105-11-153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2010] [Accepted: 03/24/2010] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ribonuclease P is an ancient endonuclease that cleaves precursor tRNA and generally consists of a catalytic RNA subunit (RPR) and one or more proteins (RPPs). It represents an important macromolecular complex and model system that is universally distributed in life. Its putative origins have inspired fundamental hypotheses, including the proposal of an ancient RNA world. RESULTS To study the evolution of this complex, we constructed rooted phylogenetic trees of RPR molecules and substructures and estimated RPP age using a cladistic method that embeds structure directly into phylogenetic analysis. The general approach was used previously to study the evolution of tRNA, SINE RNA and 5S rRNA, the origins of metabolism, and the evolution and complexity of the protein world, and revealed here remarkable evolutionary patterns. Trees of molecules uncovered the tripartite nature of life and the early origin of archaeal RPRs. Trees of substructures showed molecules originated in stem P12 and were accessorized with a catalytic P1-P4 core structure before the first substructure was lost in Archaea. This core currently interacts with RPPs and ancient segments of the tRNA molecule. Finally, a census of protein domain structure in hundreds of genomes established RPPs appeared after the rise of metabolic enzymes at the onset of the protein world. CONCLUSIONS The study provides a detailed account of the history and early diversification of a fundamental ribonucleoprotein and offers further evidence in support of the existence of a tripartite organismal world that originated by the segregation of archaeal lineages from an ancient community of primordial organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Jie Sun
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, Jilin Province, PR China
- W.M. Keck Center for Comparative and Functional Genomics, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Gustavo Caetano-Anollés
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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14
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Baird NJ, Gong H, Zaheer SS, Freed KF, Pan T, Sosnick TR. Extended structures in RNA folding intermediates are due to nonnative interactions rather than electrostatic repulsion. J Mol Biol 2010; 397:1298-306. [PMID: 20188108 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2010.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2009] [Revised: 02/11/2010] [Accepted: 02/13/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RNA folding occurs via a series of transitions between metastable intermediate states for Mg(2+) concentrations below those needed to fold the native structure. In general, these folding intermediates are considerably less compact than their respective native states. Our previous work demonstrates that the major equilibrium intermediate of the 154-residue specificity domain (S-domain) of the Bacillus subtilis RNase P RNA is more extended than its native structure. We now investigate two models with falsifiable predictions regarding the origins of the extended intermediate structures in the S-domains of the B. subtilis and the Escherichia coli RNase P RNA that belong to different classes of P RNA and have distinct native structures. The first model explores the contribution of electrostatic repulsion, while the second model probes specific interactions in the core of the folding intermediate. Using small-angle X-ray scattering and Langevin dynamics simulations, we show that electrostatics plays only a minor role, whereas specific interactions largely account for the extended nature of the intermediate. Structural contacts in the core, including a nonnative base pair, help to stabilize the intermediate conformation. We conclude that RNA folding intermediates adopt extended conformations due to short-range, nonnative interactions rather than generic electrostatic repulsion of helical domains. These principles apply to other ribozymes and riboswitches that undergo functionally relevant conformational changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Baird
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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15
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Kashiwagi N, Yamashita K, Furuta H, Ikawa Y. Designed RNAs with Two Peptide-Binding Units as Artificial Templates for Native Chemical Ligation of RNA-Binding Peptides. Chembiochem 2009; 10:2745-52. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.200900392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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16
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Ishikawa J, Matsumura S, Jaeger L, Inoue T, Furuta H, Ikawa Y. Rational optimization of the DSL ligase ribozyme with GNRA/receptor interacting modules. Arch Biochem Biophys 2009; 490:163-70. [PMID: 19728985 PMCID: PMC2826975 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2009.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2009] [Revised: 08/26/2009] [Accepted: 08/26/2009] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The DSL ribozyme is a class of artificial ligase ribozymes with a highly modular architecture, which catalyzes template-directed RNA ligation on a helical substrate module that can be either covalently connected (cis-DSL) or physically separated (trans-DSL) from the catalytic module. Substrate recognition by the catalytic module is promoted by one or two sets of GNRA/receptor interactions acting as clamps in the cis or trans configurations, respectively. In this study, we have rationally designed and analyzed the catalytic and self-assembly properties of several trans-DSL ribozymes with different sets of natural and artificial GNRA-receptor clamps. Two variants newly designed in this study showed significantly enhanced catalytic properties with respect of the original trans-DSL construct. While this work allows dissection of the turnover and catalytic properties of the trans-DSL ribozyme, it also emphasizes the remarkable modularity of RNA tertiary structure for nano-construction of complex functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junya Ishikawa
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Shigeyoshi Matsumura
- Institut de Science et d'Ingenierie Supramoleculaires (ISIS), Université Louis Pasteur, 8 Allée Gaspard Monge, B. P. 70028, 67083 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| | - Luc Jaeger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9510, USA
| | - Tan Inoue
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- ICORP, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Furuta
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yoshiya Ikawa
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
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17
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Abstract
Selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE) chemistry yields quantitative RNA secondary and tertiary structure information at single nucleotide resolution. SHAPE takes advantage of the discovery that the nucleophilic reactivity of the ribose 2'-hydroxyl group is modulated by local nucleotide flexibility in the RNA backbone. Flexible nucleotides are reactive toward hydroxyl-selective electrophiles, whereas constrained nucleotides are unreactive. Initial versions of SHAPE chemistry, which employ isatoic anhydride derivatives that react on the minute time scale, are emerging as the ideal technology for monitoring equilibrium structures of RNA in a wide variety of biological environments. Here, we extend SHAPE chemistry to a benzoyl cyanide scaffold to make possible facile time-resolved kinetic studies of RNA in approximately 1 s snapshots. We then use SHAPE chemistry to follow the time-dependent folding of an RNase P specificity domain RNA. Tertiary interactions form in two distinct steps with local tertiary contacts forming an order of magnitude faster than long-range interactions. Rate-determining tertiary folding requires minutes despite that no non-native interactions must be disrupted to form the native structure. Instead, overall folding is limited by simultaneous formation of interactions approximately 55 A distant in the RNA. Time-resolved SHAPE holds broad potential for understanding structural biogenesis and the conformational interconversions essential to the functions of complex RNA molecules at single nucleotide resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie A Mortimer
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, USA
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18
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Suwa S, Nagai Y, Fujimoto A, Kikuchi Y, Tanaka T. Analysis on substrate specificity of Escherichia coli ribonuclease P using shape variants of pre-tRNA: proposal of subsites model for substrate shape recognition. J Biochem 2008; 145:151-60. [PMID: 19008262 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvn150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We prepared a series of shape variants of a pre-tRNA and examined substrate shape recognition by bacterial RNase P ribozyme and holoenzyme. Cleavage site analysis revealed two new subsites for accepting the T-arm and the bottom half of pre-tRNA in the substrate-binding site of the enzyme. These two subsites take part in cleavage site selection of substrate by the enzyme: the cleavage site is not always selected according to the relative position of the 3'-CCA sequence of the substrate. Kinetic studies indicated that the substrate shape is recognized mainly in the transition state of the reaction, and neither the shape nor position of either the T-arm or the bottom half of the substrate affected the Michaelis complex formation. These results strongly suggest that the 5' and 3' termini of a substrate are trapped by the enzyme first, then the position and the shape of the T-arm and the bottom half are examined by the cognate subsites. From these facts, we propose a new substrate recognition model that can explain many experimental facts that have been seen as enigmatic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Suwa
- Division of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Department of Ecological Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580, Japan
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19
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Marszalkowski M, Willkomm DK, Hartmann RK. Structural basis of a ribozyme's thermostability: P1-L9 interdomain interaction in RNase P RNA. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2008; 14:127-133. [PMID: 17998289 PMCID: PMC2151030 DOI: 10.1261/rna.762508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2007] [Accepted: 09/10/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
For stability, many catalytic RNAs rely on long-range tertiary interactions, the precise role of each often being unclear. Here we demonstrate that one of the three interdomain architectural struts of RNase P RNA (P RNA) is the key to activity at higher temperatures: disrupting the P1-L9 helix-tetraloop interaction in P RNA of the thermophile Thermus thermophilus decreased activity at high temperatures in the RNA-alone reaction and at low Mg2+ concentrations in the holoenzyme reaction. Conversely, implanting the P1-P9 module of T. thermophilus in the P RNA from the mesophile Escherichia coli converted the latter RNA into a thermostable one. Moreover, replacing the E. coli P1-P9 elements with a pseudoknot module that mediates the homologous interaction in Mycoplasma P RNAs not only conferred thermostability upon E. coli P RNA but also increased its maximum turnover rate at 55 degrees C to the highest yet described for a P RNA ribozyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Marszalkowski
- Institut für Pharmazeutische Chemie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, D-35037 Marburg, Germany
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20
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Abstract
Ribonuclease P is among the first ribozymes discovered, and is the only ubiquitously occurring ribozyme besides the ribosome. The bacterial RNase P RNA is catalytically active without its protein subunit and has been studied for over two decades as a model system for RNA catalysis, structure and folding. This review focuses on the thermodynamic, kinetic and structural frameworks derived from the folding studies of bacterial RNase P RNA.
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21
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Baird NJ, Srividya N, Krasilnikov AS, Mondragón A, Sosnick TR, Pan T. Structural basis for altering the stability of homologous RNAs from a mesophilic and a thermophilic bacterium. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2006; 12:598-606. [PMID: 16581805 PMCID: PMC1421087 DOI: 10.1261/rna.2186506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Tertiary RNA structures from thermophilic bacteria generally are more stable than their mesophilic homologs. To understand the structural basis of the increase in stability, we investigated equilibrium folding of the specificity domain (S-domain) of RNase P RNA from a mesophilic (Escherichia coli) and a thermophilic (Thermus thermophilus) bacterium. Equilibrium folding of both S-domains is described by a minimal, three-state folding scheme, U-to-I-to-N. In the I-to-N transition of the thermophilic S-domain, more structure forms and protections are stronger against T1 nuclease and hydroxyl radical reactions. Phylogenetic comparison in the context of the native structure reveals that among 39 nucleotide differences between these S-domains, 12 likely contribute to higher stability. These residues participate in extensive networks of hydrogen bonding, stacking, and metal ion coordination throughout the molecule. The thermophilic S-domain achieves higher stability by mutating strategic base pairs to G-C, decreasing surface accessibility of the native state, and increasing the amount of structure formation in the native folding transition. An E. coli S-domain mutant containing these 12 nt has the same stability and folding cooperativity as the T. thermophilus S-domain. E. coli S-domain mutants containing a subset of 4 or 6 nt have the same stability as the T. thermophilus S-domain but the same folding cooperativity as the E. coli S-domain. These results show that increasing stability can be accomplished by mutations within a local structure, but increasing folding cooperativity needs concerted changes among multiple structural units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Baird
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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22
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Baird NJ, Westhof E, Qin H, Pan T, Sosnick TR. Structure of a folding intermediate reveals the interplay between core and peripheral elements in RNA folding. J Mol Biol 2005; 352:712-22. [PMID: 16115647 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2005.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2005] [Revised: 06/27/2005] [Accepted: 07/05/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Though the molecular architecture of many native RNA structures has been characterized, the structures of folding intermediates are poorly defined. Here, we present a nucleotide-level model of a highly structured equilibrium folding intermediate of the specificity domain of the Bacillus subtilis RNase P RNA, obtained using chemical and nuclease mapping, circular dichroism spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering and molecular modeling. The crystal structure indicates that the 154 nucleotide specificity domain is composed of several secondary and tertiary structural modules. The structure of the intermediate contains modules composed of secondary structures and short-range tertiary interactions, implying a sequential order of tertiary structure formation during folding. The intermediate lacks the native core and several long-range interactions among peripheral regions, such as a GAAA tetraloop and its receptor. Folding to the native structure requires the local rearrangement of a T-loop in the core in concert with the formation of the GAAA tetraloop-receptor interaction. The interplay of core and peripheral structure formation rationalizes the high degree of cooperativity observed in the folding transition leading to the native structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Baird
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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23
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Ceballos-Chávez M, Vioque A. Sequence-dependent cleavage site selection by RNase Z from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. J Biol Chem 2005; 280:33461-9. [PMID: 16051605 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m504691200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Biosynthesis of transfer RNA requires processing from longer precursors at the 5'- and 3'-ends. In eukaryotes, in archaea, and in those bacteria where the 3'-terminal CCA sequence is not encoded, 3' processing is carried out by the endonuclease RNase Z, which cleaves after the discriminator nucleotide to generate a mature 3'-end ready for the addition of the CCA sequence. We have identified and cloned the gene coding for RNase Z in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. The gene has been expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein was purified. The enzymatic activity of RNase Z from Synechocystis has been studied in vitro with a variety of substrates. The presence of C or CC after the discriminator nucleotide modifies the cleavage site of RNase Z so that it is displaced by one and two nucleotides to the 3'-side, respectively. The presence of the complete 3'-terminal CCA sequence in the precursor of the tRNA completely inhibits RNase Z activity. The inactive CCA-containing precursor binds to Synechocystis RNase Z with similar affinity than the mature tRNA. The properties of the enzyme described here could be related with the mechanism by which CCA is added in this organism, with the participation of two separate nucleotidyl transferases, one specific for the addition of C and another for the addition of A. This work is the first characterization of RNase Z from a cyanobacterium, and the first from an organism with two separate nucleotidyl transferases.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Ceballos-Chávez
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC, Américo Vespucio 49, E-41092 Sevilla, Spain
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24
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Johnson TH, Tijerina P, Chadee AB, Herschlag D, Russell R. Structural specificity conferred by a group I RNA peripheral element. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2005; 102:10176-81. [PMID: 16009943 PMCID: PMC1177367 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0501498102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2005] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Like proteins, structured RNAs must specify a native conformation that is more stable than all other possible conformations. Local structure is much more stable for RNA than for protein, so it is likely that the principal challenge for RNA is to stabilize the native structure relative to misfolded and partially folded intermediates rather than unfolded structures. Many structured RNAs contain peripheral structural elements, which surround the core elements. Although it is clear that peripheral elements stabilize structure within RNAs that contain them, it has not yet been explored whether they specifically stabilize the native states relative to alternative folds. A two-piece version of the group I intron RNA from Tetrahymena is used here to show that the peripheral element P5abc binds to the native conformation of the rest of the RNA 50,000 times more tightly than it binds to a long-lived misfolded conformation. Thus, P5abc stabilizes the native conformation by approximately 6 kcal/mol relative to this misfolded conformation. Further, activity measurements show that for the RNA lacking P5abc, the native conformation is only marginally preferred over the misfolded conformation (<0.5 kcal/mol), indicating that the peripheral structure of this RNA is required to achieve a significant thermodynamic preference for the native state. Such "structural specificity" may be a general function of RNA peripheral domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis H Johnson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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25
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Yan Z, Baranger AM. Binding of an aminoacridine derivative to a GAAA RNA tetraloop. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2005; 14:5889-93. [PMID: 15501063 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2004.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2004] [Revised: 09/08/2004] [Accepted: 09/08/2004] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
RNA tetraloops are common secondary structural motifs in many RNAs, especially ribosomal RNAs. There are few studies of small molecule recognition of RNA tetraloops although tetraloops are known to interact with RNA receptors and proteins, and to form nucleation sites for RNA folding. In this paper, we investigate the binding of neomycin, kanamycin, 2,4-diaminoquinazoline, quinacrine, and an aminoacridine derivative (AD1) to a GAAA tetraloop using fluorescence spectroscopy. We have found that AD1 and quinacrine bind to the GAAA tetraloop with the highest affinity of the molecules examined. The equilibrium dissociation constant of the AD1-GAAA tetraloop complex was determined to be 1.6 microM. RNase I and lead acetate footprinting experiments suggested that AD1 binds to the junction between the loop and stem of the GAAA tetraloop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohui Yan
- Department of Chemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
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26
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Day-Storms JJ, Niranjanakumari S, Fierke CA. Ionic interactions between PRNA and P protein in Bacillus subtilis RNase P characterized using a magnetocapture-based assay. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2004; 10:1595-608. [PMID: 15337847 PMCID: PMC1370646 DOI: 10.1261/rna.7550104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Ribonuclease P (RNase P) is a ribonucleoprotein complex that catalyzes the cleavage of the 5' end of precursor tRNA. To characterize the interface between the Bacillus subtilis RNA (PRNA) and protein (P protein) components, the intraholoenzyme KD is determined as a function of ionic strength using a magnetocapture-based assay. Three distinct phases are evident. At low ionic strength, the affinity of PRNA for P protein is enhanced as the ionic strength increases mainly due to stabilization of the PRNA structure by cations. Lithium substitution in lieu of potassium enhances the affinity at low ionic strength, whereas the addition of ATP, known to stabilize the structure of P protein, does not affect the affinity. At high ionic strength, the observed affinity decreases as the ionic strength increases, consistent with disruption of ionic interactions. These data indicate that three to four ions are released on formation of holoenzyme, reflecting the number of ion pairs that occur between the P protein and PRNA. At moderate ionic strength, the two effects balance so that the apparent KD is not dependent on the ionic strength. The KD between the catalytic domain (C domain) and P protein has a similar triphasic dependence on ionic strength. Furthermore, the intraholoenzyme KD is identical to or tighter than that of full-length PRNA, demonstrating that the P protein binds solely to the C domain. Finally, pre-tRNAasp (but not tRNAasp) stabilizes the PRNA*P protein complex, as predicted by the direct interaction between the P protein and pre-tRNA leader.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy J Day-Storms
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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27
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Walker SC, Avis JM. A conserved element in the yeast RNase MRP RNA subunit can participate in a long-range base-pairing interaction. J Mol Biol 2004; 341:375-88. [PMID: 15276830 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2004.05.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2004] [Accepted: 05/26/2004] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
RNase MRP is a ribonucleoprotein endoribonuclease involved in eukaryotic pre-rRNA processing. The enzyme possesses a putatively catalytic RNA subunit, structurally related to that of RNase P. A thorough structure analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae MRP RNA, entailing enzymatic and chemical probing, mutagenesis and thermal melting, identifies a previously unrecognised stem that occupies a position equivalent to the P7 stem of RNase P. Inclusion of this P7-like stem confers on yeast MRP RNA a greater degree of similarity to the core RNase P RNA structure than that described previously and better delimits domain 2, the proposed specificity domain. The additional stem is created by participation of a conserved sequence element (ymCR-II) in a long-range base-pairing interaction. There is potential for this base-pairing throughout the known yeast MRP RNA sequences. Formation of a P7-like stem is not required, however, for the pre-rRNA processing or essential function of RNase MRP. Mutants that can base-pair are nonetheless detrimental to RNase MRP function, indicating that the stem will form in vivo but that only the wild-type pairing is accommodated. Although the alternative MRP RNA structure described is clearly not part of the active RNase MRP enzyme, it would be the more stable structure in the absence of protein subunits and the probability that it represents a valid intermediate species in the process of yeast RNase MRP assembly is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Walker
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, UMIST, P.O. Box 88, Manchester, M60 1QD, UK
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28
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Krasilnikov AS, Yang X, Pan T, Mondragón A. Crystal structure of the specificity domain of ribonuclease P. Nature 2003; 421:760-4. [PMID: 12610630 DOI: 10.1038/nature01386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2002] [Accepted: 12/16/2002] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
RNase P is the only endonuclease responsible for processing the 5' end of transfer RNA by cleaving a precursor and leading to tRNA maturation. It contains an RNA component and a protein component and has been identified in all organisms. It was one of the first catalytic RNAs identified and the first that acts as a multiple-turnover enzyme in vivo. RNase P and the ribosome are so far the only two ribozymes known to be conserved in all kingdoms of life. The RNA component of bacterial RNase P can catalyse pre-tRNA cleavage in the absence of the RNase P protein in vitro and consists of two domains: a specificity domain and a catalytic domain. Here we report a 3.15-A resolution crystal structure of the 154-nucleotide specificity domain of Bacillus subtilis RNase P. The structure reveals the architecture of this domain, the interactions that maintain the overall fold of the molecule, a large non-helical but well-structured module that is conserved in all RNase P RNA, and the regions that are involved in interactions with the substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey S Krasilnikov
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
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29
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Ikawa Y, Fukada K, Watanabe SI, Shiraishi H, Inoue T. Design, construction, and analysis of a novel class of self-folding RNA. Structure 2002; 10:527-34. [PMID: 11937057 DOI: 10.1016/s0969-2126(02)00739-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
RNA can play multiple biological roles through use of its three-dimensional (3-D) structures. Recent advances in RNA structural biology have revealed that complex RNA 3D structures are assemblages of double-stranded helices with a variety of tertiary structural motifs. By employing RNA tertiary structural motifs together with the helices, we designed a novel class of self-folding RNA. In RNA composed of three helices (P1, P2, and P3), P1 interacts with P3 via a tetraloop-receptor interaction and P2 forms consecutive base-triples. Two designed RNAs of this class were prepared and their folding properties indicate that they form defined tertiary structures as designed. These RNAs may be used as modular units for constructing artificial ribozymes or nanometer-scale materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiya Ikawa
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Japan
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