Endonucleolytic initiation of mRNA decay in Escherichia coli.
Instability is a fundamental property of mRNA that is necessary for the regulation of gene expression. In E. coli, the turnover of mRNA involves multiple, redundant pathways involving 3'-exoribonucleases, endoribonucleases, and a variety of other enzymes that modify RNA covalently or affect its conformation. Endoribonucleases are thought to initiate or accelerate the process of mRNA degradation. A major endoribonuclease in this process is RNase E, which is a key component of the degradative machinery amongst the Proteobacteria. RNase E is the central element in a multienzyme complex known as the RNA degradosome. Structural and functional data are converging on models for the mechanism of activation and regulation of RNase E and its paralog, RNase G. Here, we discuss current models for mRNA degradation in E. coli and we present current thinking on the structure and function of RNase E based on recent crystal structures of its catalytic core.
Carpousis
Agamemnon J
AJ
Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires, CNRS et Université Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France.
Luisi
Ben F
BF
McDowall
Kenneth J
KJ
D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D020871:RNA Stability; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D004722:Endoribonucleases; C022537:ribonuclease E