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Autolytic processing of a phosphorothioate diester bond.

A small satellite RNA of tobacco ringspot virus replicates in tissues infected with tobacco ringspot virus and accumulates in virus capsids, forming virus-like particles. Previous research showed that multimeric forms of this satellite RNA have tandem repeats of the "monomeric" satellite RNA sequence of 359 or 360 nucleotide residues. The multimeric RNAs undergo autolytic processing at a specific CpA phosphodiester bond, the junction, to generate the monomeric RNA. We substituted phosphorothioate diester bonds for various sets of phosphodiester bonds, in dimeric and truncated forms of the satellite RNA. The degree of reduction in autolytic cleavage varied both with the sites of substitution and the size of the RNA molecules. Analyses of a product of the autolysis reaction suggest that one phosphorothioate diester bond most strongly interferes with processing, the one introduced at the CpA junction during its synthesis from adenosine-5'-0-(1-thiotriphosphate). However, extensive introduction of phosphorothioate diester bonds elsewhere in the molecule also decreased processing, possibly by altering conformation.

Base Sequence↗

Dominant lethal mutations near the 5' substrate binding site affect RNA polymerase propagation.

The segment Asp1064-Lys1073 in the beta subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase is evolutionarily conserved and is located near the "5' face" of the nucleotide binding pocket as was shown by affinity labeling with priming substrates (Grachev, M. A., Lukhtamov, E. A., Mustaev, A. A., Zaychikov, E. F., Abdukayumov, M. N., Rabinov, I. V., Richter, V. I., Skoblov, Y. S., and Chistyakov, P. G. (1989) Eur. J. Biochem. 180, 577-585). We engineered single Xaa-->Ala or Ala-->Ser substitutions of eight evolutionarily conserved amino acids in this segment as well as a multiple alanine (KRNK) substitution of four of these residues. The KRNK mutation as well as four of the single substitutions were dominant lethal, two of the single mutations were recessive lethal, and two were viable. RNA polymerase bearing the dominant mutations was prepared for biochemical study by in vitro reconstitution from subunits. All of the mutant enzymes formed stable, specific promoter complexes, capable of initiating RNA synthesis. However, the KRNK polymerase was totally blocked in initiation-to-elongation transition, whereas the four point mutants displayed allele-specific changes in promoter clearance rate. Each of the four mutations changed, in a specific way, both the pattern of short oligomers generated in abortive initiation and the pattern of RNA polymerase pausing during elongation. Thus, the mutations appear to distort but not destroy the active center and to alter, in allele-specific manner, the coupling between the catalytic reaction and RNA polymerase propagation along the template.

Alleles↗

A "master" in base unpairing during isomerization of a promoter upon RNA polymerase binding.

Isomerization of a closed to open complex of a promoter upon RNA polymerase binding involves base unpairing at the -10 region. After potassium permanganate sensitivity of unpaired thymine residues, we studied base unpairing at the -10 region during isomerization upon RNA polymerase binding at the P1 and P3 promoters of the gal operon. Substitution of adenine by 2-amino purine (2-AP) at the invariable A small middle dotT base pair at the -11 position of P1 and P3 prevented unpairing not only at that position but also at the other downstream positions, suggesting a "master" role of the adenine base at -11 of the template strand in overall base unpairing. 2-AP at -11 did not inhibit the formation of RNA polymerase small middle dotpromoter complex and subsequent isomerization of the polymerase. Substitution of adenine by 2-AP at several other positions did not affect thymine unpairing. Changing the position of the amino group from C6 in adenine to C2 in 2-AP is mutational only at the master switch position, -11.

Base Pairing↗

Kinetic study in vitro of Escherichia coli promoter closure during transcription initiation.

The rate of closure of two Escherichia coli promoters borne by plasmid pBR322, following transcription initiation from the open complex, was probed in vitro by the protection of unpaired thymines in the open complex against oxidation by KMnO4. Run-off transcription kinetics were also studied under identical conditions. Closure of the open promoter appears to be by far the rate-limiting step of transcription initiation and elongation for the linearized beta-lactamase gene, and is strongly dependent on template topology for the RNAI gene. It is suggested that the corresponding signals are deposited 30 bases at least downstream of transcription initiation and that promoter closure, and its clearance by elongating RNA polymerase, may occur almost simultaneously.

Base Sequence↗

RNA polymerase heterogeneity in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

Recent genetic and biochemical experiments have revealed the existence of at least seven different sigma factors in Streptomyces coelicolor and demonstrated a role for alternative sigma factors in the control of differentiation and also in the transcription of primary metabolic genes. S. coelicolor has four genes predicted to encode sigma factors that are very closely related to the sigma 70 polypeptide of Escherichia coli.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

T7 promoter contacts essential for promoter activity in vivo.

T7 RNA polymerase promoters consist of a highly conserved 23 base-pair sequence that spans the site of the initiation of transcription (+1) and extends from -17 to +6. To determine the bases within the T7 consensus promoter that are essential for promoter function a library of mutant T7 promoters was constructed, and the in vivo activity of the mutant promoters was correlated to their sequence. The library of mutant promoters was created by randomly mutagenizing the T7 phi 10 promoter between positions -22 and +6 during the synthesis of oligonucleotides containing the phi 10 promoter. The mutagenized oligonucleotides were then ligated to a promoterless chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene creating a plasmid (pCM-X#) that can potentially express chloramphenicol acetyl transferase in the presence of T7 RNA polymerase. E. coli containing pCM-X# and a second compatible plasmid carrying T7 gene 1 (T7 RNA polymerase) were screened for chloramphenicol resistance or chloramphenicol sensitivity. The point mutations that were found to inactivate a T7 promoter are a C to A or G substitution at -7, a T to A substitution at -8, a C to A, T, or G substitution at -9, and a G to T substitution at -11.

Base Sequence↗

Nucleotide sequence and properties of the hrmA locus associated with the Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae 61 hrp gene cluster.

The hrmA locus, isolated from Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae 61, is essential for phenotypic expression of the P. s. pv. syringae 61 hrp cluster in Escherichia coli strains and enables bacteria carrying the hrp/hrm gene cluster to elicit the hypersensitive response (HR) associated with plant disease resistance. The phenotype of P. s. pv syringae 61 hrmA mutants (pathogenicity+, delayed HR) was distinct from that of hrp mutants. The locus was localized to a 3.6-kb BamH1-EcoR1 fragment whose nucleotide sequence was determined. A single open reading frame was identified that encodes for a 41,457-Da protein of unknown biochemical function. Production of the deduced protein product was confirmed by using T7 RNA polymerase-directed expression of the locus and N-terminal sequence analysis of the isolated HrmA. The deduced protein product did not exhibit homology with any of the characterized avr genes or the hrpN product of Erwinia amylovora. Transcription was shown to initiate 37 nucleotides upstream of the translational start from an apparent sigma 70 promoter. Two hrp genes were shown to act as positive transcriptional factors for hrmA expression. Expression of hrmA in P. syringae pv. glycinea race 4 did not exhibit the phenotypic properties of an avr gene or HrpN, but suggested that this locus may serve a regulatory function. A homolog to hrmA was present in strains of only three of the 23 P. syringae pathovars tested.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The influence of RNA and DNA template structures during transcript elongation by RNA polymerases.

It was previously thought that elongating Escherichia coli transcription ternary complex consists of an RNA polymerase molecule enclosing 17 +/- 1 melted bases (bubble) of the template DNA and a 12-base-pair RNA-DNA hybrid ("transcription bubble paradigm"). Recent evidence suggests that ternary elongation complexes are heterogeneous and possibly vary in bubble size and length of RNA-DNA hybrid. We used a new type of assay to address the relative contributions of bubble size, secondary structure of RNA and RNA-DNA hybrid length during elongation. Synthetic RNA-DNA bubble duplexes are assembled in vitro. RNA structure 5' to the RNA-DNA hybrid, hybrid length and bubble size are systematically changed. The relative efficiency of E. coli and T7 RNA polymerases to elongate RNA primer is quantitated. RNA elongation was high (approximately 22-30%) when a stable hairpin was present towards the 5' end of the primer. Efficiency of elongation was lower for RNA primers without hairpins. Hairpin RNAs with presumed RNA-DNA hybrids of 3-7 bp were efficiently elongated compared to hairpins that presumably form 10bp hybrids. Preformed bubbles of different sizes (2,5 or 20 bases) were functional in all cases where elongation was moderate or high. We concluded that RNA secondary structure plays a dominant role compared to hybrid length or bubble size in determining efficient elongation by RNA polymerases.

Base Sequence↗

In vitro assembly of infectious nucleocapsids of bacteriophage phi 6: formation of a recombinant double-stranded RNA virus.

A system is described for assembling infectious bacteriophage phi 6 nucleocapsids in vitro. Procapsids encoded by cDNA copies of genomic segment L in Escherichia coli were used to package and replicate viral RNA segments. The resulting filled particles were shown to be capable of infecting host cell spheroplasts after incubation with purified nucleocapsid shell protein P8. The infected spheroplasts yielded infectious virions. A modified cDNA-derived RNA segment was inserted into virions by this method. The resulting infectious virions contained the same 4-base-pair deletion as the modified cDNA. These findings support the contention that the preformed procapsids are the "machine" that replicates the phi 6 genome, by showing that the cDNA-derived procapsids are competent to package and replicate RNA properly.

Bacteriophages↗

Abortive initiation by bacteriophage T3 and T7 RNA polymerases under conditions of limiting substrate.

Initiation of RNA synthesis by the phage polymerases is abortive if the concentration of pyrimidine triphosphates is limiting. Under abortive initiation conditions the polymerases repeatedly initiate transcription but produce ribooligonucleotides that terminate just prior to the first occurrence of the limiting substrate. Abortive initiation is most severe if the limiting substrate occurs within the first 8-12 nucleotides of the nascent RNA chain and is particularly evident when UMP is limiting. The formation of stable elongation complexes (as determined by gel retardation experiments) occurs after the synthesis of an RNA product 8-12 nucleotides in length.

Base Sequence↗

Sequential multiple functions of the conserved sequence in sequence-specific termination by T7 RNA polymerase.

Escherichia coli rrnB terminator t1 contains an RNA hairpin-dependent (class I) and a sequence-specific (class II) termination signal. The latter consists of an 8-bp conserved sequence (CS), TATCTGTT, immediately followed by an 8-bp T rich sequence. In this study, elongation complexes of T7 RNA polymerase at various positions of the class II signal and several mutant signals were obtained by stepwise walking on immobilized DNA templates free of the class I signal. Multiple CS-associated conformational changes were observed, starting at the beginning of the signal and occurring sequentially. When the complexes reach the first base pair of the CS-DNA duplex, which is downstream of the RNA-DNA heteroduplex, their stability, as measured by time-course retention of radiolabeled transcripts, markedly decreases. Further elongation leads to an abrupt change in polymerase-RNA interaction. Cross-linking of the polymerase to a 4-thio-UMP incorporated into RNA 8 nucleotides upstream of the 3' end and just upstream of the heteroduplex is initially strong but diminishes when the polymerase reaches the fourth base pair of the CS. After a further 7-nt elongation, the exposed single-stranded region of nontemplate strand is contracted; RNA in the upstream half of the heteroduplex becomes dissociated, and the CS-DNA duplex is reformed. During the next 5-nt elongation before termination, the CS duplex is prevented from translocation, and the contracted transcription bubble expands only downstream. These findings suggest that the CS duplex plays essential roles by successively binding to polymerase both downstream and upstream of the heteroduplex.

Base Sequence↗

Initial transcribed sequence mutations specifically affect promoter escape properties.

Promoter escape efficiency of E. coli RNA polymerase is guided by both the core promoter and the initial transcribed sequence (ITS). Here, we quantitatively examined the escape properties of 43 random initial sequence variants of the phage T5 N25 promoter. The position for promoter escape on all N25-ITS variants occurred at the +15/+16 juncture, unlike the +11/+12 juncture for the wild type N25. These variants further exhibited a 25-fold difference in escape efficiency. ITS changes favoring promoter escape showed a compositional bias that is unrelated to nucleotide substrate binding affinity for the initial positions. Comparing all variants, the natural N25 promoter emerges as having evolved an ITS optimal for promoter escape, giving a high level of productive synthesis after undergoing the shortest abortive program. We supplemented GreB to transcription reactions to better understand abortive initiation and promoter escape in vivo. GreB supplementation elevated productive RNA synthesis 2-5-fold by altering the abortive RNA pattern, decreasing the abundance of the medium (6-10 nt) to long (11-15 nt) abortive RNAs without changing the levels of short (2-5 nt) and very long abortive RNAs (16-20 nt). The GreB-refractive nature of short abortive RNA production may reflect a minimum length requirement of 4-5 bp of the RNA-DNA hybrid for maintaining the stability of initial or backtracked complexes. That the very long abortive RNAs are unaffected by GreB suggests that they are unlikely to be products of polymerase backtracking. How the ITS might influence the course of early transcription is discussed within the structural context of an initial transcribing complex.

Base Sequence↗

The complete sequence of a brown algal mitochondrial genome, the ectocarpale Pylaiella littoralis (L.) Kjellm.

We describe here the complete sequence (58,507 bp) of the mitochondrial genome of the brown alga Pylaiella littoralis (Ectocarpales). This molecule displays an AT content of 62.0% and contains seventy-nine genes, most of them (73) encoded on one strand. They include the usual mitochondrial set of protist genes and a number of rarer genes. Among these, several ribosomal protein genes and the rn5 were identified. Twenty-four tRNA genes are present in this genome, insufficient to decode all genes. The other conspicuous features of this molecule are: a large (3018 nucleotides) in-frame insertion of unknown function in the cox2 gene; the presence of two different lineages of group II introns, including complete reverse transcriptase-like genes, one in the cox1 and the other in the rnl gene; the concomitant occurrence of a T7-like RNA polymerase and of several well-conserved alpha-proteobacterial-type promoters; and a small nad11 gene, coding for the first domain only of this NADH dehydrogenase subunit. Altogether, the mitochondrial genome of P. littoralis exhibits both alpha-proteobacterial characteristics and evidences of the independent integration of several exogenous DNA fragments.

Algal Proteins↗

Site-directed mutational analysis of a U4 small nuclear RNA gene proximal sequence element. Localization and identification of functional nucleotides.

The genes that encode the small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) are unusual RNA polymerase II transcription units in that 5'-flanking DNA sequences more than 50 base pairs upstream of snRNA genes are essential for specifying the transcription initiation site. The relevant cis-acting DNA sequence, termed the proximal sequence element (PSE), is required for both transcription initiation and 3'-end formation of snRNAs. We have used site-directed mutagenesis and expression in Xenopus oocytes to map nucleotides important for the function of the chicken U4B snRNA gene PSE. The results indicate that nucleotide sequences upstream of position -65 are not required for U4B PSE activity. However, nucleotides lying within a region 53-65 base pairs upstream of the U4B gene are essential for obtaining a detectable level of U4B gene expression. Six nucleotides between positions -53 and -59 were identified at which base substitutions reduced the transcriptional activity of the U4B gene.

Animals↗

Sequence and molecular analysis of the rpoA cluster genes from Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris.

The Xanthomonas campestris rpsM (S13)-rpsK (S11)-rpsD (S4)-rpoA (alpha)-rplQ (L17) cluster, encoding RNA polymerase alpha-subunit and four ribosomal proteins, reside in a 3164-bp DNA region. The N-terminal sequence of the authentic alpha-protein determined chemically matches that predicted from the nucleotide sequence. rplQ is monocistronic, instead of being co-transcribed with the other genes as in Escherichia coli. Antiserum against the His-tagged alpha-protein cross-reacted with the E. coli alpha-protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Three regions of Rpb10 mini-subunit of nuclear RNA polymerases are strictly conserved in all eukaryotes].

The rpb10+ cDNA from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe was cloned using two independent approaches (PCR and genetic suppression). The cloned cDNA encoded the Rpb10 subunit common for all three RNA polymerases. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the Sz. pombe Rbp10 subunit (71 amino acid residues) with those of the homologous subunits of RNA polymerases I, II, and III from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Home sapiens revealed that heptapeptides RCFT/SCGK (residues 6-12), RYCCRRM (residues 43-49), and HVDLIEK (residues 53-59) were evolutionarily the most conserved structural motifs of these subunits. It is shown that the Rbp10 subunit from Sz. pombe can substitute its homolog (ABC10 beta) in the baker's yeast S. cerevisiae.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Tyr-571 is involved in the T7 RNA polymerase binding to its promoter.

The in vitro studies of three T7 RNA polymerase point mutants suggest that substitutions of Ala and Thr for Pro-563 and of Ser for Tyr-571 have little effect on the enzyme catalytic competence, but result in its inability to utilize the promoter. Both P563A and P563T mutants retain the promoter-binding ability, whereas the promoter affinity of the Y571S mutant drops drastically.

Amino Acid Sequence↗