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Editing site recognition and nucleotide insertion are separable processes in Physarum mitochondria
Author(s) -
Byrne Elaine M.,
Stout Angela,
Gott Jonatha M.
Publication year - 2002
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/cdf610
Subject(s) - molecular cell biology , biology , rna processing , new england , library science , rna , genetics , gene , computer science , law , political science , microbiology and biotechnology , politics
Insertional RNA editing in Physarum polycephalum is a complex process involving the specific addition of non‐templated nucleotides to nascent mitochondrial transcripts. Since all four ribonucleotides are substrates for the editing activity(s), both the site of insertion and the identity of the nucleotide to be added at a particular position must be specified, but the signals for these events have yet to be elucidated. Here we report the occurrence of sporadic errors in RNAs synthesized in vitro . These mistakes, which include omission of encoded nucleotides as well as misinsertions, occur only on templates that support editing. The pattern of these misediting events indicates that editing site recognition and nucleotide addition are separable events, and that the recognition step involves features of the mitochondrial template that are required for editing. The larger deletions lack all templated nucleotides between editing sites, suggesting that the transcription/editing apparatus can ‘jump’ from one insertion site to another, perhaps mediated by interactions with editing determinants, while smaller omissions most likely reflect misalignment of the transcript upon resumption of templated RNA synthesis.