title: An RNA helicase (AtSUV3) is present in Arabidopsis thaliana mitochondria.
abstract: The proteins involved in mitochondrial mRNA processing and degradation in higher plants have yet to be identified. As a first step towards this aim, we report here the characterisation of a nuclear-encoded DExH box RNA helicase (AtSUV3) localised in Arabidopsis thaliana mitochondria. The AtSUV3 mRNA is assembled from the 16 exons of a weakly expressed unique gene and the predicted protein has a calculated molecular weight of 63.6 kDa. Subcellular fractionation of transgenic plants expressing AtSUV3/GUS fusion proteins localises this protein in mitochondria. The N-terminal domain of AtSUV3 containing the motifs characteristic of DExH box RNA helicases exhibits a low endogenous ATPase activity in vitro which can be stimulated by the presence of mitochondrial RNA, confirming that AtSUV3 is an RNA helicase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gagliardi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Spadinger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brennicke
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Leaver
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Binder
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011544:Pseudogenes; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D020365:RNA Helicases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C489585:ATSUV3 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012313:RNA; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D020365:RNA Helicases