title: Hybridase activity of human ribonuclease-1 revealed by a real-time fluorometric assay.
abstract: Human ribonuclease-1 (hRNase-1) is an extracellular enzyme found in exocrine pancreas, blood, milk, saliva, urine and seminal plasma, which has been implicated in digestion of dietary RNA and in antiviral host defense. The enzyme is characterized by a high catalytic activity toward both single-stranded and double-stranded RNA. In this study, we explored the possibility that hRNase-1 may also be provided with a ribonuclease H activity, i.e. be able to digest the RNA component of RNA:DNA hybrids. For this purpose, we developed an accurate and sensitive real-time RNase H assay based on a fluorogenic substrate made of a 12 nt 5'-fluorescein-labeled RNA hybridized to a complementary 3'-quencher-modified DNA. Under physiological-like conditions, hRNase-1 was found to cleave the RNA:DNA hybrid very efficiently, as expressed by a kcat/K(m) of 330 000 M(-1) s(-1), a value that is over 180-fold higher than that obtained with the homologous bovine RNase A and only 8-fold lower than that measured with Escherichia coli RNase H. The kinetic characterization of hRNase-1 showed that its hybridase activity is maximal at neutral pH, increases with lowering ionic strength and is fully inhibited by the cytosolic RNase inhibitor. Overall, the reported data widen our knowledge of the enzymatic properties of hRNase-1 and provide new elements for the comprehension of its biological function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Second University of Naples, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Potenza
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Salvatore
authors.forename: Annalucia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Migliozzi
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martone
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nobile
authors.forename: Aniello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D016914:Ribonuclease H / Q000378:metabolism*; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / Q000378:metabolism*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D016914:Ribonuclease H; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic