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Escherichia coli DbpA is an RNA helicase that requires hairpin 92 of 23S rRNA
Author(s) -
Diges Camille M.,
Uhlenbeck Olke C.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/20.19.5503
Subject(s) - biology , 23s ribosomal rna , rna helicase a , escherichia coli , microbiology and biotechnology , helicase , ribosomal rna , rna , genetics , gene , ribosome
Escherichia coli DbpA is a member of the DEAD/H family of proteins which has been shown to have robust ATPase activity only in the presence of a specific region of 23S rRNA. A series of bimolecular RNA substrates were designed based on this activating region of rRNA and used to demonstrate that DbpA is also a non‐processive, sequence‐specific RNA helicase. The high affinity of DbpA for the RNA substrates allowed both single and multiple turnover helicase assays to be performed. Helicase activity of DbpA is dependent on the presence of ATP or dATP, the sequence of the loop of hairpin 92 of 23S rRNA and the position of the substrate helix with respect to hairpin 92. This work indicates that certain RNA helicases require particular RNA structures in order for optimal unwinding activity to be observed.