Targeted 2'-O methylation at a nucleotide within the pseudoknot of telomerase RNA reduces telomerase activity in vivo.
Telomerase RNA is an essential component of telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that maintains chromosome ends in most eukaryotes. Here we employ a novel approach, namely, RNA-guided RNA modification, to assess whether introducing 2'-O methylation into telomerase RNA can influence telomerase activity in vivo. We generate specific 2'-O methylation sites in and adjacent to the triple helix (within the conserved pseudoknot structure) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomerase RNA (TLC1). We show that 2'-O methylation at U809 reduces telomerase activity, resulting in telomere shortening, whereas 2'-O methylation at A804 or A805 leads to moderate telomere lengthening. Importantly, we also show that targeted 2'-O methylation does not affect TLC1 levels and that 2'-O-methylated TLC1 appears to be efficiently assembled into telomerase ribonucleoprotein. Our results demonstrate that RNA-guided RNA modification is a highly useful approach for modulating telomerase activity.
Huang
Chao
C
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. yitao_yu@urmc.rochester.edu
Yu
Yi-Tao
YT
D001483:Base Sequence; D019175:DNA Methylation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000378:metabolism*; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019098:Telomerase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
D009711:Nucleotides; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C422952:telomerase RNA; D012313:RNA; D019098:Telomerase