title: Control of the position of RNase P-mediated transfer RNA precursor processing.
abstract: Two Bacillus subtilis tRNA(His) precursors (Green, C. J., and Vold, B. S. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 652-657) were processed by Escherichia coli RNase P in the presence of varying [Mg2+]. The wild type precursor was processed under all conditions to afford a single tRNA product containing 8 base pairs in the acceptor stem. In contrast, the position of processing of a mutant tRNA(His) precursor (containing a G27----A27 alteration) was shown to be condition-dependent. Processing occurred at A27 under conditions consistent with formation of an A27-C100 base pair in the acceptor stem but at G28 under conditions that disfavored base pair formation. The ability to control the site of RNase P-mediated tRNA precursor processing is unprecedented and permits analysis of the chemical factors that promote processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville 22901.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Vold
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hecht
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D007700:Kinetics; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific / Q000235:genetics*; D012354:RNA, Transfer, His / Q000235:genetics*; D043262:Ribonuclease P; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific; D012354:RNA, Transfer, His; D004722:Endoribonucleases; D043262:Ribonuclease P; C470865:ribonuclease P, E coli; D008274:Magnesium