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J A Steitz

Publications and source records attributed to J A Steitz.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Site-specific interaction of Qbeta host factor and ribosomal protein S1 with Qbeta and R17 bacteriophage RNAs.

We have studied the interaction of the host factor (HF) required for bacteriophage Qbeta RNA replication and of ribosomal protein S1, a subunit of Qbeta replicase, with Qbeta and R17 RNA. Both proteins bind to both Qbeta and R17 RNA; HF has a higher affinity than S1 for these phages RNAs. HF binds to a single site in R17 RNA located in the replicase cistron, and to two sites of Qbeta RNA, one of which is located approximately 60 nucleotides from the 6' end of Qbeta RNA. The three HF binding sites all have portions rich in adenylate residues; all are bound by HF when contained in oligonucleotides which are predicted to exist only in single-stranded form. S1 selects a single site in Qbeta RNA, also near the 6' end, but binds to a large number of sites in R17 RNA. These results suggest that HF and possibly S1, through their interaction with the 3'-terminal region of Qbeta RNA, are directly involved in the recognition of the 6' end of Qbeta RNA by Qbeta replicase. Under conditions where specific protein-R1M RNA complexes are formed, we have also tested host factor and S1 for cistron-specific interference with ribosome binding to R17 RNA. Although S1 and HF lower the efficiency of initiation complex formation as described previously, we detect no discrimination against any particular cistron. We therefore conclude that translational interference exhibited by the two proteins probably reflects simply their high affinity for RNA and certain defined polynucleotides.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1975

The 30 S ribosomal precursor RNA from Escherichia coli. A primary transcript containing 23 S, 16 S, and 5 S sequences.

The 30 S ribosomal precursor RNA has been prepared from Escherichia coli AB301/105 (RNase III-) labeled with 32-PO4 in the presence of chloramphenicol. Direct nucleotide sequence studies yield the following information. 1. The major 5'-terminal sequence in our precursor preparations is pppA-C-U-G-. 2. Treatment of the precursor RNA with purified ribonuclease III in vitro releases species sedimenting near 23 S and 17 S, neither of which retain the pppA- end, plus a collection of small fragments with chain lengths of less than 400 nucleotides. 3. The RNase III product sedimenting near 17 S (16 SIII) appears identical with the 17 S RNA typically isolated from pulse-labeled or chloramphenicol-treated cells or from several mutants deficient in ribosome assembly: fingerprint analysis reveals the presence of the same additional RNase T1 oligonucleotides and the 5' terminus (pU-G-) previously described for 17 S RNA. A 3'-terminal T1 oligonucleotide (which was not previously identifiable in the case of the 17 S precursor) has been isolated from 16 S III and its sequence determined: C-U-C-A-C-A-C-A. 4. 5 S rRNA sequences are contained in an RNase III-released fragment of approximately 300 nucleotides. This molecule lacks the 5' terminus of the mature 5 S RNA. The implications of these findings with respect to the control of ribosomal RNA synthesis, the pathways of rRNA processing in vivo, and the specificity of RNase III cleavage of natural substrates are discussed.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1975

How ribosomes select initiator regions in mRNA: base pair formation between the 3' terminus of 16S rRNA and the mRNA during initiation of protein synthesis in Escherichia coli.

Initiation complexes formed by E. coli ribosomes in the presence of 32P-labeled A protein initiator region from R17 bacteriophage Rna have been treated with colicin E3 and disassembled by exposure to 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate. Electrophoresis on 9% polyacrylamide gels reveals a dissociable complex containing the 30-nucleotide-long messenger fragment and the 50-nucleotide-long colicin fragment, which arises from the 3' terminus of the 16S RNA. The complex is a pure RNA-RNA hybird; it is apparently maintained by a seven-base complementarity between the two RNA fragments. Detection of this mRNA-rRNA complex strongly supports the hypothesis that during the initiation step of protein biosynthesis the 3' end of 16S RNA base pairs with the polypurine stretch common to initiator regions in E. coli and bacteriophage mRNAs. The implications of our findings with respect to the molecular mechanism of initiation site selection and mRNA binding to ribosomes, the role of rRNA in ribosome function, and species specificity in translation are explored.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1975

The 3' terminal oligonucleotide of E. coli 16S ribosomal RNA: the sequence in both wild-type and RNase iii- cells is complementary to the polypurine tracts common to mRNA initiator regions.

Application of Sanger techniques to the analysis of the 3' terminal oligonucleotide from E. coli 32-P-labelled 16 S rRNA yields the sequence AUCACCUCCUUAOH. This sequence is identical in RNA isolated from two wild-type strains (MRE600 and E. coli B, SY106) and from a mutant strain (AB301/105) defective in RNase III. Data presented here explains the previous derivation of an incorrect sequence (AUCCUCACUUCAOH) by others. The functional significance of complementarity between the 3' terminus of 16S rRNA and poly-purine tracts commonly found in mRNA initiator regions is discussed.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1973

Discriminatory ribosome rebinding of isolated regions of protein synthesis initiation from the ribonucleic acid of bacteriophage R17.

To determine whether bacterial ribosomes recognize a distinguishing feature in the immediate vicinity of actual initiator codons or are directed to these sites through involvement of other portion(s) of the mRNA molecule, the interaction between ribosomes and defined (32)P-labeled initiator fragments from R17 RNA was studied. When incubated with mixtures of the three sites, ribosomes from Bacillus stearothermophilus (which initiate only the A protein on intact phage RNA) are able to select out the A fragment and discriminate against the coat and replicase initiator regions. By contrast, Escherichia coli ribosomes do not rebind that coat-protein region of R17 most efficiently, as they in the native RNA, but likewise prefer the A-protein initiator fragment. In both cases, ribosome binding of the isolated A site is comparable by several criteria to normal polypeptide-chain initiation on an intact R17 messenger RNA in vitro. E. coli ribosomal preference for the A site is confirmed in experiments with randomly fragmented R17 RNA, by both the initiation dipeptide and ribosome protection assay. Thus the A-protein ribosome-binding site of R17 RNA appears intrinsically to be a good initiator, while efficient recognition of the coat and replicase regions requires the participation of some portion of the remainder of the phage RNA molecule.

Bacillus↗