Endoribonuclease RNase III is essential in Bacillus subtilis.
The rncS gene of Bacillus subtilis encodes Bs-RNase III, a narrow-specificity endoribonuclease. Previous attempts to disrupt rncS were unsuccessful. Here, a strain was constructed in which Bs-RNase III expression was dependent upon transcription of rncS from a temperature-sensitive plasmid. Growth of this strain at the non-permissive temperature resulted in 90-95% cell death, and virtually all the cells that survived retained the rncS-expressing plasmid. Thus, we conclude that rncS is essential in B. subtilis. The rncS conditional strain also revealed that Bs-RNase III participates in the processing of ribosomal RNA, in addition to processing small cytoplasmic RNA, a member of the signal recognition particle RNA family. Most significantly, a rare rncS null strain was isolated that will aid further study of the critical role Bs-RNase III plays in B. subtilis.
Herskovitz
M A
MA
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University, Box 1020, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Bechhofer
D H
DH
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000378:metabolism; D043244:Ribonuclease III
D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D004722:Endoribonucleases; D043244:Ribonuclease III