Title: The endoribonucleolytic N-terminal half of Escherichia coli RNase E is evolutionarily conserved in Synechocystis sp. and other bacteria but not the C-terminal half, which is sufficient for degradosome assembly (RNA degradosomeymRNA degradation)
Abstract: Escherichia coli RNase E, an essential single- stranded specific endoribonuclease, is required for both ri- bosomal RNA processing and the rapid degradation of mRNA. The availability of the complete sequences of a number of bacterial genomes prompted us to assess the evolutionarily conservation of bacterial RNase E. We show here that the sequence of the N-terminal endoribonucleolytic domain of RNase E is evolutionarily conserved in Synechocystis sp. and other bacteria. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the Syn- echocystis sp. homologue binds RNase E substrates and cleaves them at the same position as the E. coli enzyme. Taken together these results suggest that RNase E-mediated mech- anisms of RNA decay are not confined to E. coli and its close relatives. We also show that the C-terminal half of E. coli RNase E is both sufficient and necessary for its physical interaction with the 3*-5* exoribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase, the RhlB helicase, and the glycolytic enzyme enolase, which are components of a ''degradosome'' complex. Interestingly, however, the sequence of the C-terminal half of E. coli RNase E is not highly conserved evolutionarily, sug- gesting diversity of RNase E interactions with other RNA decay components in different organisms. This notion is supported by our finding that the Synechocystis sp. RNase E homologue does not function as a platform for assembly of E. coli degradosome components.
Publication Year: 1998
Publication Date: 1998-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 2
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