Biochemical and serological evidence for an RNase E-like activity in halophilic Archaea.
Endoribonuclease RNase E appears to control the rate-limiting step that mediates the degradation of many mRNA species in bacteria. In this work, an RNase E-like activity in Archaea is described. An endoribonucleolytic activity from the extreme halophile Haloarcula marismortui showed the same RNA substrate specificity as the Escherichia coli RNase E and cross-reacted with a monoclonal antibody raised against E. coli RNase E. The archaeal RNase E activity was partially purified from the extreme halophilic cells and shown, contrary to the E. coli enzyme, to require a high salt concentration for cleavage specificity and stability. These data indicate that a halophilic RNA processing enzyme can specifically recognize and cleave mRNA from E. coli in an extremely salty environment (3 M KCI). Having recently been shown in mammalian cells (A. Wennborg, B. Sohlberg, D. Angerer, G. Klein, and A. von Gabain, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92:7322-7326, 1995), RNase E-like activity has now been identified in all three evolutionary domains: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. This strongly suggests that mRNA decay mechanisms are highly conserved despite quite different environmental conditions.
Franzetti
B
B
Laboratoire de Biophysique Moléculaire, Institut de Biologie Structurale, CEA-DSV-CNRS UPR 9015, Grenoble, France.
Sohlberg
B
B
Zaccai
G
G
von Gabain
A
A
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology; D006216:Halobacteriaceae / Q000201:enzymology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011132:Polyribosomes / Q000201:enzymology; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D004722:Endoribonucleases; C022537:ribonuclease E