Multiple mechanisms for degradation of bacteriophage T4 soc mRNA.
The dmd gene of bacteriophage T4 is required for regulation of mRNA stability in a stage-dependent manner during infection. When this gene is mutated, late genes are globally silenced because of rapid degradation of mRNAs. To investigate the mechanism of such mRNA degradation, we analyzed the late gene soc transcripts. The degradation of soc mRNA was remarkably stabilized when its ability to be translated was impaired; either disruption of translation initiation signals or elimination of termination codons was effective in stabilization of soc mRNA and removal of elongation modestly stabilized it. Even in the absence of translation, however, the residual activity was still significant. These results suggested that the degradation of soc transcripts was promoted by two different mechanisms; one is dependent on translation and the other independent of translation. We found several cleavages introduced into soc RNA specifically when the dmd gene was mutated; some of them could be linked to polypeptide chain elongation and termination, suggesting the correlation with ribosomal action, and the others were independent of translation.
Kai
Toshie
T
Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.
Yonesaki
Tetsuro
T
D017122:Bacteriophage T4 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D004926:Escherichia coli; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D020871:RNA Stability; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D036022:Capsid Proteins; C453723:Dmd protein, Enterobacteria phage T4; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins; C103392:small outer capsid protein, bacteriophage T4