title: RNase P branches out from RNP to protein: organelle-triggered diversification?
abstract: RNase P is the enzyme that removes 5' leader sequences from precursor tRNAs. Remarkably, in most organisms, RNase P is a ribonucleoprotein particle where the RNA component is responsible for catalysis. In this issue of Genes & Development, Gutmann and colleagues (pp. 1022-1027) report the first organism, Arabidopsis thaliana, to employ protein-only RNase P in both its nucleus and organelles. An intriguing possibility is that replacement of RNase P ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) by proteins may have been triggered by the acquisition of organelles.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Biofrontiers Institute, Boulder Colorado 80309, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Goldfarb
authors.forename: Sumit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borah
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Cech
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D020537:RNA, Small Nucleolar / Q000378:metabolism*; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000378:metabolism*; D043262:Ribonuclease P / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020537:RNA, Small Nucleolar; D012343:RNA, Transfer; D043262:Ribonuclease P