What is the role of RNase J in mRNA turnover?
The discovery of the paralogous ribonucleases J1 and J2 has been a major advance in the study of RNA maturation and decay in Bacillus subtilis and related organisms. RNase J1 was the first bacterial enzyme shown to possess 5'-to-3' exoribonuclease activity, reversing a dogma that suggested this type of activity was unique to eukaryotic mRNA decay. RNase J1 and J2 form a complex that also has endonuclease activity and these enzymes have been shown to play a key role in the turnover and maturation of many RNAs in B. subtilis. Here, I describe recent progress in our understanding of the role of these enzymes in RNA metabolism in this organism and argue that the 5'-to-3' exoribonuclease activity may be the more important of the complex's two modes of action.
Condon
Ciarán
C
Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France. condon@ibpc.fr
D000818:Animals; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D020871:RNA Stability / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012260:Ribonucleases