title: PrrC-anticodon nuclease: functional organization of a prototypical bacterial restriction RNase.
abstract: The tRNA(Lys) anticodon nuclease PrrC is associated in latent form with the type Ic DNA restriction endonuclease EcoprrI and activated by a phage T4-encoded inhibitor of EcoprrI. The activation also requires the hydrolysis of GTP and presence of dTTP and is inhibited by ATP. The N-proximal NTPase domain of PrrC has been implicated in relaying the activating signal to a C-proximal anticodon nuclease site by interacting with the requisite nucleotide cofactors [Amitsur et al. (2003) Mol. Microbiol., 50, 129-143]. Means described here to bypass PrrC's self-limiting translation and thermal instability allowed purifying an active mutant form of the protein, demonstrating its oligomeric structure and confirming its anticipated interactions with the nucleotide cofactors of the activation reaction. Mutagenesis and chemical rescue data shown implicate the C-proximal Arg320, Glu324 and, possibly, His356 in anticodon nuclease catalysis. This triad exists in all the known PrrC homologs but only some of them feature residues needed for tRNA(Lys) recognition by the Escherichia coli prototype. The differential conservation and consistent genetic linkage of the PrrC proteins with EcoprrI homologs portray them as a family of restriction RNases of diverse substrate specificities that are mobilized when an associated DNA restriction nuclease is compromised.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Shani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blanga-Kanfi
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amitsur
authors.forename: Abdussalam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azem
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009154:Mutation; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015265:Site-Specific DNA-Methyltransferase (Adenine-Specific) / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D009711:Nucleotides; C086510:DNA modification methylase EcoprrI; D015265:Site-Specific DNA-Methyltransferase (Adenine-Specific); C084965:PrrC protein, E coli; D012260:Ribonucleases