Identification of the gene encoding the 5S ribosomal RNA maturase in Bacillus subtilis: mature 5S rRNA is dispensable for ribosome function.
Over 25 years ago, Pace and coworkers described an activity called RNase M5 in Bacillus subtilis cell extracts responsible for 5S ribosomal RNA maturation (Sogin & Pace, Nature, 1974, 252:598-600). Here we show that RNase M5 is encoded by a gene of previously unknown function that is highly conserved among the low G + C gram-positive bacteria. We propose that the gene be named rnmV. The rnmV gene is nonessential. B. subtilis strains lacking RNase M5 do not make mature 5S rRNA, indicating that this process is not necessary for ribosome function. 5S rRNA precursors can, however, be found in both free and translating ribosomes. In contrast to RNase E, which cleaves the Escherichia coli 5S precursor in a single-stranded region, which is then trimmed to yield mature 5S RNA, RNase M5 cleaves the B. subtilis equivalent in a double-stranded region to yield mature 5S rRNA in one step. For the most part, eubacteria contain one or the other system for 5S rRNA production, with an imperfect division along gram-negative and gram-positive lines. A potential correlation between the presence of RNase E or RNase M5 and the single- or double-stranded nature of the predicted cleavage sites is explored.
Unité Propre de Recherche 9073, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France. condon@ibpc.fr
C
C
Condon
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Brechemier-Baey
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B
Beltchev
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M
Grunberg-Manago
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H
Putzer
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics*; D020029:Base Pairing; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D017931:DNA Primers; D012322:RNA Precursors; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases; C034038:mRNA maturase; D004722:Endoribonucleases; C027761:ribonuclease M5; C022537:ribonuclease E