Reverse-transcriptase-associated RNaseH activity mediates template switching during reverse transcription in vitro.

J Garcés; R Wittek

doi:10.1098/rspb.1991.0037

Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 1711233

Reverse-transcriptase-associated RNaseH activity mediates template switching during reverse transcription in vitro.

J Garcés·R Wittek

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

During the first steps of reverse transcription of the retroviral genome, sequences present at the extremities of the RNA are used to reconstitute a host cell PolII promoter. The assembly of the promoter occurs by template switching, which takes advantage of a direct repeat at the ends of the RNA molecule. These steps are catalysed by the viral reverse transcriptase, which carries an intrinsic RNaseH activity that is probably also involved therein. To study the role of the RNaseH activity in this first template-switching event, an in vitro system has been developed based on primer extensions of synthetic RNAs. When an RNA was reverse transcribed with wild-type reverse transcriptase in the presence of a second RNA the 3' part of which was repeated at the 5' end of the first one, extension products could be observed corresponding to a chimeric cDNA comprising both RNA species. This template switching could not be detected when a mutant reverse transcriptase lacking the RNaseH activity was used. The results show that the RNaseH activity is needed to remove the 5' RNA sequences from the cDNA:RNA hybrid thereby enabling its translocation to another RNA containing an appropriate complementary target sequence.

Explore related subjects

Endoribonucleases RNA, Viral RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase Retroviridae Ribonuclease H Transcription, Genetic Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

J Garcés, R Wittek. 1991-03-22. Reverse-transcriptase-associated RNaseH activity mediates template switching during reverse transcription in vitro.. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1991.0037

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed1992

Characterization of the double stranded RNA dependent RNase activity associated with recombinant reverse transcriptases.

An in situ gel assay was applied to the study of double stranded RNA dependent RNase activity associated with reverse transcriptase (RT) of HIV-1 and murine leukemia virus. Polyacrylamide gels containing [32P] RNA/RNA substrate were used for electrophoresis of proteins under denaturing conditions. The proteins were renatured and in situ enzymatic degradation of 32P-RNA/RNA was followed. E. coli RNaseIII, but not E. coli RNaseH, was active in this in situ gel assay, indicating specificity of the assay to RNA/RNA dependent nucleases. Analysis of purified preparations of HIV-1 RT p66/p51 expressed in E. coli demonstrated an RNA/RNA dependent RNase activity comigrating with the large subunit (p66) of the enzyme. In addition, this activity of the RT was often accompanied by a contaminating RNA/RNA dependent RNase, with a molecular weight approximately 30,000 dalton identical to that of E. coli RNaseIII. As the p51 small subunit of HIV-1 RT and a mutant of RT p66/p51, at Glutamic acid #478, did not exhibit RNA/RNA dependent RNase activity, at least part of the active site of the RNA/RNA dependent RNase activity appeared to reside at the carboxy end of the molecule. As these RT proteins are also deficient of RNaseH, our results suggest overlapping or identical catalytic sites for degradation of the substrates RNA/DNA and RNA/RNA.

Endoribonucleases↗

PubMed1990

Folding of ribonuclease T1. 1. Existence of multiple unfolded states created by proline isomerization.

It is our aim to elucidate molecular aspects of the mechanism of protein folding. We use ribonuclease T1 as a model protein, because it is a small single-domain protein with a well-defined secondary and tertiary structure, which is stable in the presence and absence of disulfide bonds. Also, an efficient mutagenesis system is available to produce protein molecules with defined sequence variations. Here we present a preliminary characterization of the folding kinetics of ribonuclease T1. Its unfolding and refolding reactions are reversible, which is shown by the quantitative recovery of the catalytic activity after an unfolding/refolding cycle. Refolding is a complex process, where native protein is formed on three distinguishable pathways. There are 3.5% fast-folding molecules, which refold within the millisecond time range, and 96.5% slow-folding species, which regain the native state in the time range of minutes to hours. These slow-folding molecules give rise to two major, parallel refolding reactions. The mixture of fast- and slow-folding molecules is produced slowly after unfolding by chain equilibration reactions that show properties of proline isomerization. We conclude that part of the kinetic complexity of RNase T1 folding can be explained on the basis of the proline model for protein folding. This is supported by the finding that the slow refolding reactions of this protein are accelerated in the presence of the enzyme prolyl isomerase. However, several properties of ribonuclease T1 refolding, such as the dependence of the relative amplitudes on the probes, used to follow folding, are not readily explained by a simple proline model.

Endoribonucleases↗

PubMed1990

Maturation of precursor 10Sa RNA in Escherichia coli is a two-step process: the first reaction is catalyzed by RNase III in presence of Mn2+.

A precursor to 10Sa RNA accumulates in an rne mutant. However, the present studies indicate that RNase III is the enzyme that processes this RNA. Cell extracts prepared from an rne mutant failed to cleave p10Sa RNA, whereas E coli wild type, rne and rnp cell extracts processed p10Sa RNA under specific assay conditions that require the presence of Mn2+ but not under the customary conditions used for assaying RNase III. That the p10Sa cleaving activity is solely RNase III was confirmed by comparing the increase in p10Sa and poly(A).poly(U) cleaving activities in a strain harboring a plasmid carrying an RNase III gene as compared to a normal E coli strain. It is of interest that these 2 substrates are cleaved by RNase III efficiently, but under 2 different assay conditions. In all strains tested, with normal or elevated levels of RNase III, RNase III fractionates predominantly with the membrane. Further characterization of the maturation of 10Sa RNA revealed that the processing of 10Sa RNA is a 2 step reaction involving 2 separate activities, both sensitive to heat and proteinase K treatment. The first step is catalyzed by RNase III, and results in the formation of a molecule, p10Sa', which is larger than the mature 10Sa RNA. The second activity catalyzes the conversion of p10S' to 10Sa RNA, and this step does not require a divalent cation. The second activity is not any of the known processing endoribonucleases, RNase III, E or P, but could be a new enzyme having no obligate requirement for a divalent cation.

Endoribonucleases↗