Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “RNAse”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 937 records · Page 52Linked to original sources

Unique progressive cleavage mechanism of HIV reverse transcriptase RNase H.

HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) degrades the plus strand viral RNA genome while synthesizing the minus strand of DNA. Many RNA fragments, including the polypurine tracts, remain annealed to the new DNA. Several RTs are believed to bind after synthesis to degrade all RNA fragments except the polypurine tracts by a polymerization-independent mode of RNase H activity. For this latter process, we found that RT positions the RNase H active site approximately 18 nt from the 5' end of the RNA, making the primary cut. The enzyme rebinds or slides toward the 5' end of the RNA to make a secondary cut creating two products 8-9 nt long. RT then binds the new 5' end of the RNA created by the first primary or the secondary cuts to make the next primary cut. In addition, we observed another type of RNase H cleavage specificity. RT aligns the RNase H active site to the 3' end of the RNA, cutting 5 residues in. We determined the relative rates of these cuts, defining their temporal order. Results show that the first primary cut is fastest, and the secondary and 5-nt cuts occur next at similar rates. The second primary cuts appear last. Based on these results, we present a model by which RT progressively cleaves RNA fragments.

Base Sequence↗

A specific endoribonuclease, RNase P, affects gene expression of polycistronic operon mRNAs.

The rnpA mutation, A49, in Escherichia coli reduces the level of RNase P at 43 degrees C because of a temperature-sensitive mutation in C5 protein, the protein subunit of the enzyme. Microarray analysis reveals the expression of several noncoding intergenic regions that are increased at 43 degrees C compared with 30 degrees C. These regions are substrates for RNase P, and they are cleaved less efficiently than, for example, tRNA precursors. An analysis of the tna, secG, rbs, and his operons, all of which contain RNase P cleavage sites, indicates that RNase P affects gene expression for regions downstream of its cleavage sites.

Base Sequence↗

Reconstitution of RNase P activity from inactive RNA and protein.

RNase P preparations from Escherichia coli can be separated into RNA and protein by chromatography, in buffers containing 7 M urea, on Sephadex G-200, DEAE-Sephadex, or CM-Sephadex columns. Neither RNA nor protein components alone exhibits any RNase activity. RNase P activity can be reconstituted by mixing separated RNA and protein components in buffer containing 7M urea followed by dialysis of this mixture to remove the urea. Of several purified RNAs tried, only M2 RNA, the RNA species found in purified RNase P, is active in the reconstitution experiments.

Escherichia coli↗

Site-specific cleavage by T1 RNase of U-1 RNA in u-1 ribonucleoprotein particles.

The structures and functions of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles have become of interest because of their suggested role in processing heterogeneous nuclear RNA [Lerner, M. R., Boyle, J. A., Mount, S. M., Wolin S. L. & Steitz, J. A. (1980) Nature (London) 283, 220-224]. To determine the conformation of U-1 RNA in U-1 ribonucleoprotein particles and whether proteins of these particles protect segments of U-1 RNA, intact particles and isolated U-1 RNA were digested with T1 RNase. The digested particles were immunoprecipitated with anti-Sm antibodies. A 5'-end fragment containing nucleotides 1-107 and 3'-end fragments containing nucleotides 108-165 and 108-153 were recovered in nearly quantitative yield from digestion of the particles, suggesting that position 107 is the principal cleavage site in them. At the same T1 RNase concentrations, deproteinized U-1 RNA was cleaved into many fragments. At low T1 RNase concentrations, major cleavage site of deproteinized U-1 RNA was at nucleotide 69. Comparison of the cleavage sites of free U-1 RNA and of U-1 RNA in U-1 ribonucleoprotein particles suggested similar secondary structures. The resistance of the 5' end of U-1 RNA to T1 RNase was unexpected inasmuch as this region has been implicated in hydrogen bonding with heterogeneous nuclear RNA splice junctions.

Animals↗

RNase H confers specificity in the dnaA-dependent initiation of replication at the unique origin of the Escherichia coli chromosome in vivo and in vitro.

Escherichia coli rnh mutants defective in RNase H activity display the features of previously described sdrA (stable DNA replication) and dasF (dnaA suppressor) mutants: (i) sustained DNA replication in the absence of protein synthesis, (ii) lack of requirement for dnaA protein and the origin of replication (oriC), and (iii) sensitivity of growth to a rich medium. Both the sdrA mutants (selected for continued DNA replication in the absence of protein synthesis) and the dasF mutants (selected as dnaA suppressors) are defective in RNase H activity, measured in vitro. Furthermore, a 760-base-pair fragment containing the rnh+ structural gene complements the phenotype of each of the rnh, sdrA, and dasF mutants, indicative of a single gene. One function of RNase H in vivo is in the initiation of a cycle of DNA replication at oriC dependent on dnaA+. In keeping with these results, RNase H contributes to the specificity of dnaA protein-dependent replication initiated at oriC in a partially purified enzyme system.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Molecular cloning of the gene for the RNA-processing enzyme RNase III of Escherichia coli.

A ColE1 plasmid from the Clarke and Carbon collection [Clarke, L. & Carbon, J. (1976) Cell 9, 91-99] that contains a 14.4-kilobase Escherichia coli DNA insert complements the rnc-105 mutation, which destroys the activity of the RNA-processing enzyme RNase III. This insert and smaller restriction endonuclease fragments derived from it were cloned into the plasmid pBR329. A number of these recombinant plasmids complemented the rnc-105 mutation in a recA genetic background. The smallest cloned fragment that compensated for the rnc-105 mutation was 1.3 kilobase in size. This fragment led to the synthesis of two polypeptides. One of these polypeptides was 25,300 daltons and corresponded in size to the subunit of RNase III. Fragments cloned in opposite orientations led to synthesis of RNase III, indicating that the cloned fragments contained an endogenous promoter. Extracts of an rnc+ E. coli strain containing an rnc+ plasmid had at least 10 times more RNase III activity than did an analogous strain containing the pBR329 plasmid.

Cloning, Molecular↗

Analysis of genetic variability and mapping of point mutations in influenza virus by the RNase A mismatch cleavage method.

We have applied the RNase A mismatch cleavage method to analyze genetic variability in RNA viruses by using influenza virus as a model system. Uniformly labeled RNA probes synthesized from a cloned hemagglutinin gene of a given viral strain were hybridized to RNA isolated from other strains of characterized or uncharacterized genetic composition. The RNA.RNA heteroduplexes containing a variable number of base mismatches were digested with RNase A, and the resistant products were analyzed by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We show that many of these single base mismatches are cleaved by RNase A, generating unique and characteristic patterns of resistant RNA fragments specific for each of the different viral strains. Comparative analysis of the cleavage patterns allows a qualitative estimation of the genetic relatedness and evolution of field strains. We also show that cleavage by RNase A at single base mismatches can readily detect and localize point mutations present in monoclonal antibody-resistant variants. This method should have wide applications in the study of RNA viruses, not only for epidemiological analysis but also in some diagnostic problems, such as characterization of phenotypic mutants.

Animals↗

A 105-kDa protein is required for yeast mitochondrial RNase P activity.

RNase P from the mitochondria of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was purified to near homogeneity > 1800-fold with a yield of 1.6% from mitochondrial extracts. The most abundant protein in the purified fractions is, at 105 kDa, considerably larger than the 14-kDa bacterial RNase P protein subunits. Oligonucleotides designed from the amino-terminal sequence of the 105-kDa protein were used to identify and isolate the 105-kDa protein-encoding gene. Strains carrying a disruption of the gene for the 105-kDa protein are viable but respiratory deficient and accumulate mitochondrial tRNA precursors with 5' extensions. As this is the second gene known to be necessary for yeast mitochondrial RNase P activity, we have named it RPM2 (for RNase P mitochondrial).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Precursor of C4 antisense RNA of bacteriophages P1 and P7 is a substrate for RNase P of Escherichia coli.

The C4 repressor of the temperate bacteriophages P1 and P7 inhibits antirepressor (Ant) synthesis and is essential for establishment and maintenance of lysogeny. C4 is an antisense RNA acting on a target, Ant mRNA, which is transcribed from the same promoter. The antisense-target RNA interaction requires processing of C4 RNA from a precursor RNA. Here we show that 5' maturation of C4 RNA in vivo depends on RNase P. In vitro, Escherichia coli RNase P and its catalytic RNA subunit (M1 RNA) can generate the mature 5' end of C4 RNA from P1 by a single endonucleolytic cut, whereas RNase P from the E. coli rnpA49 mutant, carrying a missense mutation in the RNase P protein subunit, is defective in the 5' maturation of C4 RNA. Primer extension analysis of RNA transcribed in vivo from a plasmid carrying the P1 c4 gene revealed that 5'-mature C4 RNA was the predominant species in rnpA+ bacteria, whereas virtually no mature C4 RNA was found in the temperature-sensitive rnpA49 strain at the restrictive temperature. Instead, C4 RNA molecules carrying up to five extra nucleotides beyond the 5' end accumulated. The same phenotype was observed in rnpA+ bacteria which harbored a plasmid carrying a P7 c4 mutant gene with a single C-->G base substitution in the structural homologue to the CCA 3' end of tRNAs. Implications of C4 RNA processing for the lysis/lysogeny decision process of bacteriophages P1 and P7 are discussed.

Bacteriophage P1↗

A human RNase E-like activity that cleaves RNA sequences involved in mRNA stability control.

We have detected an endoribonucleolytic activity in human cell extracts that processes the Escherichia coli 9S RNA and outer membrane protein A (ompA) mRNA with the same specificity as RNase E from E. coli. The human enzyme was partially purified by ion-exchange chromatography, and the active fractions contained a protein that was detected with antibodies shown to recognize E. coli RNase E. RNA containing four repeats of the destabilizing motif AUUUA and RNA from the 3' untranslated region of human c-myc mRNA were also found to be cleaved by E. coli RNase E and its human counterpart in a fashion that may suggest a role of this activity in mammalian mRNA decay. It was also found that RNA containing more than one AUUUA motif was cleaved more efficiently than RNA with only one or a mutated motif. This finding of a eukaryotic endoribonucleolytic activity corresponding to RNase E indicates an evolutionary conservation of the components of mRNA degradation systems.

Base Sequence↗

A general two-process model describes the hydrogen exchange behavior of RNase A in unfolding conditions.

When NMR hydrogen exchange was used previously to monitor the kinetics of RNase A unfolding, some peptide NH protons were found to show EX2 exchange (detected by base catalysis) in addition to the expected EX1 exchange, whose rate is limited by the kinetic unfolding process. In earlier work, two groups showed independently that a restricted two-process model successfully fits published hydrogen exchange rates of native RNase A in the range 0-0.7 M guanidinium chloride. We find that this model predicts properties that are very different from the observed properties of the EX2 exchange reactions of RNase A in conditions where guanidine-induced unfolding takes place. The model predicts that EX2 exchange should be too fast to measure by the technique used, whereas it is readily measurable. Possible explanations for the contradiction are considered here, and we show that removing the restriction from the earlier two-process model is sufficient to resolve the contradiction; instead of specifying that exchange caused by global unfolding occurs by the EX2 mechanism, we allow it to occur by the general mechanism, which includes both the EX1 and EX2 cases. It is logical to remove this restriction because global unfolding of RNase A is known to give rise to EX1 exchange in these unfolding conditions. Resolving the contradiction makes it possible to determine whether populated unfolding intermediates contribute to the EX2 exchange, and this question is considered elsewhere. The results and simulations indicate that moderate or high denaturant concentrations readily give rise to EX1 exchange in native proteins. Earlier studies showed that hydrogen exchange in native proteins typically occurs by the EX2 mechanism but that high temperatures or pH values above 7 may give rise to EX1 exchange. High denaturant concentrations should be added to the list of variables likely to cause EX1 exchange.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Inhibition of RNase P RNA cleavage by aminoglycosides.

A number of aminoglycosides have been reported to interact and interfere with the function of various RNA molecules. Among these are 16S rRNA, the group I intron, and the hammerhead ribozymes. In this report we show that cleavage by RNase P RNA in the absence as well as in the presence of the RNase P protein is inhibited by several aminoglycosides. Among the ones we tested, neomycin B was found to be the strongest inhibitor with a Ki value in the micromolar range (35 microM). Studies of lead(II)-induced cleavage of RNase P RNA suggested that binding of neomycin B interfered with the binding of divalent metal ions to the RNA. Taken together, our findings suggest that aminoglycosides compete with Mg2+ ions for functionally important divalent metal ion binding sites. Thus, RNase P, which is an essential enzyme, is indeed a potential drug target that can be used to develop new drugs by using various aminoglycosides as lead compounds.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

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.

Base Sequence↗

Lysozyme and RNases as anti-HIV components in beta-core preparations of human chorionic gonadotropin.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) preparations contain activity against HIV type 1 (HIV-1). However, there has been controversy about whether some biological activities of hCG beta-subunit (hCGbeta) preparations are caused by the beta-subunit itself or other proteins present in the preparations. We report here the purification, characterization, and identification of three enzymes with anti-HIV activity present in the beta-core fraction of hCGbeta prepared from the urine of pregnant women. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of one protein is identical to human urinary lysozyme C, and those of the other two are identical to human RNase A and urinary RNase U. We thus refer to these proteins as AVL (antiviral lysozyme) and AVR (antiviral RNases). In addition to HIV-1 inhibition, AVL is capable of lysing Micrococcus lysodeikticus. AVR digests a variety of RNA substrates, including RNA from HIV-1-infected cells. We also find that lysozyme from chicken egg white, human milk, and human neutrophils and RNase A from bovine pancreas possess activity against HIV-1. These findings may offer additional strategies for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Recognition of a conserved class of RNA tetraloops by Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNase III.

Ribonucleases III are double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) endonucleases required for the processing of a large number of prokaryotic and eukaryotic transcripts. Although the specificity of bacterial RNase III cleavage relies on antideterminants in the dsRNA, the molecular basis of eukaryotic RNase III specificity is unknown. All substrates of yeast RNase III (Rnt1p) are capped by terminal tetraloops showing the consensus AGNN and located within 13-16 bp to Rnt1p cleavage sites. We show that these tetraloops are essential for Rnt1p cleavage and that the distance to the tetraloop is the primary determinant of cleavage site selection. The presence of AGNN tetraloops also enhances Rnt1p binding, as shown by surface plasmon resonance monitoring and modification interference studies. These results define a paradigm of RNA loops and show that yeast RNase III behaves as a helical RNA ruler that recognizes these tetraloops and cleaves the dsRNA at a fixed distance to this RNA structure. These results also indicate that proteins belonging to the same class of RNA endonucleases require different structural elements for RNA cleavage.

Bacteriophage T7↗

Cloning and characterization of a RNAse L inhibitor. A new component of the interferon-regulated 2-5A pathway.

The 2-5A/RNase L system is considered as a central pathway of interferon (IFN) action and could possibly play a more general physiological role as for instance in the regulation of RNA stability in mammalian cells. We describe here the expression cloning and initial characterization of RLI (for RNase L inhibitor), a new type of endoribonuclease inhibitor. RLI cDNA codes for a 68-kDa polypeptide whose expression is not regulated by IFN. Its expression in reticulocyte extracts antagonizes the 2-5A binding ability and the nuclease activity of endogenous RNase L or the cloned 2DR polypeptide. The inhibition requires the association of RLI with the nuclease and is dependent on the ratio between the two proteins. Likewise RLI is coimmunoprecipitated with the RNase L complex by a nuclease-specific antibody. RLI does not lead to 2-5A degradation or to irreversible modification of RNase L. The overexpression of RLI in stably transfected HeLa cells inhibits the antiviral activity of IFN on encephalomyocarditis virus but not on vesicular stomatitis virus. RLI therefore appears as the first described and potentially important mediator of the 2-5A/RNase L pathway.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Cleavage specificities of Moloney murine leukemia virus RNase H implicated in the second strand transfer during reverse transcription.

Reverse transcription of a retroviral RNA genome requires two template jumps to generate the linear double-stranded DNA required for integration. The RNase H activity of reverse transcriptase has several roles during this process. We have examined RNase H cleavages that define the maximal 3' and 5' ends of Moloney murine leukemia virus minus strand DNA prior to the second template jump. In both the endogenous reaction and on model substrates in vitro, RNase H cleaves the genomic RNA template between the second and third ribonucleotides 5' of the U5/PBS junction, but other minor cleavages between 1 and 10 nucleotides 5' of this junction are also observed. Similar experiments examining the specificity of RNase H for tRNA primer removal revealed that cleavage generally leaves a ribo A residue at the 5' end of minus strand DNA. These observations suggest that three bases are typically duplicated on the ends of the minus strands, leading to an intermediate following the second jump which contains unpaired nucleotides. Model substrates mimicking the structure of this intermediate demonstrate that reverse transcriptase has little difficulty in utilizing such a branched structure for the initiation of displacement synthesis.

Animals↗

Activation of RNase L by 2',5'-oligoadenylates. Kinetic characterization.

Ribonuclease L (RNase L), the 2',5'-oligoadenylate-dependent ribonuclease, is one of the cellular antiviral systems with enhanced activity in the presence of interferon. A reaction scheme has been developed to model the sequence of steps necessary for the activation of RNase L (Cole, J. L., Carroll, S. S., Blue, E. S., Viscount, T., and Kuo, L. C. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 19187-19192). The model comprises three sequential binding steps: the binding of activator to enzyme monomer, the subsequent dimerization of the activated monomer to form the active enzyme dimer, followed by the binding of substrate prior to catalysis. The model is used to evaluate the activation of RNase L by several synthetic analogs of the native activator. The 5'-phosphate of the activator has been determined to be an important structural determinant for the efficient activation of RNase L, and its loss caused a loss of activator affinity of 2-3 orders of magnitude. The length of activator is not an important determinant of activator potency for the activator analogs examined. The specific activity of the enzyme under conditions of saturation of activator binding and complete dimerization of the activated monomers varies only by about a factor of 3 for the activators examined, indicating that once dimerized in the presence of any of these activators, the enzyme exhibits a similar catalytic activity.

Adenine Nucleotides↗