title: Site-specific DNA endonuclease and RNA maturase activities of two homologous intron-encoded proteins from yeast mitochondria.
abstract: Two introns of the mitochondrial genome 777-3A of S. cerevisiae, bl4 in cob and al4 in coxl genes, contain ORFs that can be translated into two homologous proteins. We changed the UGA, AUA, and CUN codons of these ORFs to the universal genetic code, in order to study the functions of their translated products in E. coli and in yeast, by retargeting the nuclear encoded protein into mitochondria. The p27bl4 protein has been shown to be required for the splicing of both introns bl4 and al4. The homologous p28al4 protein is highly toxic to E. coli. It can specifically cleave double-stranded DNA at a sequence representing the junction of the two fused flanking exons. We present evidence that this system is a good model for studying the role of mitochondrial intron-encoded proteins in the rearrangement of genetic information at both the RNA (RNA splicing-bl4 maturase) and DNA levels (intron transposition-al4 transposase).
authors.affiliation: Centre de Génétique Moleculaire CNRS, GiF, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delahodde
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Goguel
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Becam
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Creusot
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perea
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Banroques
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacq
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005796:Genes; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D007438:Introns; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases; C034038:mRNA maturase; D004722:Endoribonucleases; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes