title: RNA components of Escherichia coli degradosome: evidence for rRNA decay.
abstract: Recently, we found that a multicomponent ribonucleolytic degradosome complex formed around RNase E, a key mRNA-degrading and 9S RNA-processing enzyme, contains RNA in addition to its protein components. Herein we show that the RNA found in the degradosome consists primarily of rRNA fragments that have a range of distinctive sizes. We further show that rRNA degradation is carried out in the degradosome by RNase E cleavage of A+U-rich single-stranded regions of mature 16S and 23S rRNAs. The 5S rRNA, which is known to be generated by RNase E processing of the 9S precursor, was also identified in the degradosome, but tRNAs, which are not cleaved by RNase E in vitro, were absent. Our results, which provide evidence that decay of mature rRNAs occurs in growing Escherichia coli cells in the RNA degradosome, implicate RNase E in degradosome-mediated decay.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bessarab
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Kaberdin
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin-Chao
mesh_terms: D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010455:Peptides; D011117:Polyribonucleotide Nucleotidyltransferase / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D020365:RNA Helicases; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000378:metabolism*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000378:metabolism; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / Q000378:metabolism; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S / Q000378:metabolism; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010455:Peptides; D012322:RNA Precursors; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S; C111244:degradosome; D012343:RNA, Transfer; C085706:FLAG peptide; D011117:Polyribonucleotide Nucleotidyltransferase; D004722:Endoribonucleases; C022537:ribonuclease E; D020365:RNA Helicases