title: Transfer RNA precursors are accumulated in Escherichia coli in the absence of RNase E.
abstract: A temperature-sensitive Escherichia coli mutant, which contains a heat-labile RNase E, fails to produce 5-S rRNA at a non-permissive temperature. It accumulates a number of RNA molecules in the 4-12-S range. One of these molecules, a 9-S RNA, is a precursor to 5-S rRNA [Ghora, B. K. and Apirion, D. (1978) Cell, 15, 1055-1056]. These molecules were purified and processed in a cell-free system. Some of these RNA molecules, after processing, give rise to products the size of transfer RNA, but not to 5-S-rRNA. Further characterization of the processed products of one such precursor molecule shows that it contains tRNA1Leu and tRNA1His. RNase E is necessary but not sufficient for the processing of this molecule to mature tRNAs in vitro. The accumulation of such tRNA precursors in an RNase E mutant cell and the obligatory participation of RNase E in its processing indicate that RNase E functions in the maturation of transfer RNAs as well as of 5-S rRNA.
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000172:deficiency*; D004722:Endoribonucleases; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009154:Mutation; D009843:Oligoribonucleotides / Q000032:analysis; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006163:Ribonuclease T1; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D009843:Oligoribonucleotides; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012343:RNA, Transfer; D004720:Endonucleases; D004722:Endoribonucleases; D012260:Ribonucleases; D006163:Ribonuclease T1; C022537:ribonuclease E