Open AccessThe formation of mitochondrial ribonucleoproteincomplexes involving guide RNA molecules in Trypanosoma brucei.
Author(s) -
H. Ulrich Göringer,
Donna J. Koslowsky,
Tony Morales,
Kenneth Stuart
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.91.5.1776
Subject(s) - guide rna , rna editing , rna , trypanosoma brucei , biology , ribonucleoprotein , kinetoplast , biochemistry , nucleotide , mitochondrion , uridine , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , dna , genome , cas9
Transcripts from mitochondrial (maxicircle) genes of kinetoplastid organisms undergo RNA editing characterized by a series of reactions that insert and delete uridine nucleotides within the sequence of the pre-mRNAs. Guide RNAs, which complement fully edited mRNAs, provide the information for the edited sequence by an unknown mechanism. We report here that guide RNA molecules associate with other mitochondrial components to form four specific, stable ribonucleoprotein complexes. The complexes form very rapidly at a low monovalent cation concentration, and their formation is blocked by heparin or pretreatment of the mitochondrial lysate with SDS. ATP hydrolysis is not required but slightly stimulates complex association up to concentrations of 5 mM. The results are suggestive of a sequential assembly of the ribonucleoprotein complexes, and their possible involvement during the kinetoplastid RNA editing is discussed.