A cis-acting A-U sequence element induces kinetoplastid U-insertions.
A 34-nucleotide A-U sequence located immediately upstream of the editing sites of the Leishmania tarentolae cytochrome b mRNA induces a mitochondrial extract to insert U nucleotides independent of guide RNA. Insertions are localized to positions immediately 5' and 3' of the A-U sequence. When placed within an unedited mammalian transcript, the A-U sequence is sufficient to induce U-insertions. The sequence has a high degree of similarity with the templating nucleotides of a cytochrome b guide RNA and with a sequence adjacent to the editing sites in ND7 mRNA, the other characterized kinetoplastid mRNA supporting guide RNA-independent U-insertions. At least one protein specifically interacts with the A-U sequence. The reaction is consistent with a mechanism proposed for guide RNA-directed editing.
Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0347, USA.
L M
LM
Brown
B J
BJ
Burbach
B A
BA
McKenzie
G J
GJ
Connell
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003573:Cytochrome b Group / Q000235:genetics*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast / Q000235:genetics; D007891:Leishmania / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017393:RNA Editing; D017394:RNA, Guide, Kinetoplastida / Q000235:genetics*; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*
D003573:Cytochrome b Group; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast; D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D017394:RNA, Guide, Kinetoplastida