title: A role for the catalytic ribonucleoprotein RNase P in RNA polymerase III transcription.
abstract: The physical and functional links between transcription and processing machines of tRNA in the cell remain essentially unknown. We show here that whole HeLa extracts depleted of ribonuclease P (RNase P), a tRNA-processing ribonucleoprotein, exhibit a severe deficiency in RNA polymerase (Pol) III transcription of tRNA and other small, noncoding RNA genes. However, transcription can be restored by the addition of a purified holoenzyme. Targeted cleavage of the H1 RNA moiety of RNase P alters enzyme specificity and diminishes Pol III transcription. Moreover, inactivation of RNase P by targeting its protein subunits for destruction using small interfering RNAs inhibits Pol III function and Pol III-directed promoter activity in the cell. RNase P exerts its role in transcription through association with Pol III and chromatin of active tRNA and 5S rRNA genes. The results demonstrate a role for RNase P in Pol III transcription and suggest that transcription and early processing of tRNA may be coordinated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reiner
authors.forename: Yitzhak
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben-Asouli
authors.forename: Ilana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Krilovetzky
authors.forename: Nayef
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jarrous
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D002457:Cell Extracts; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008938:Mitosis; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding; D021122:Protein Subunits; D034622:RNA Interference; D012320:RNA Polymerase III / Q000378:metabolism*; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S / Q000235:genetics; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000737:chemistry; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics; D043262:Ribonuclease P / Q000378:metabolism*; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002457:Cell Extracts; D002843:Chromatin; D021122:Protein Subunits; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D012343:RNA, Transfer; D012320:RNA Polymerase III; D043262:Ribonuclease P