title: RNase J is required for processing of a small number of RNAs in Rhodobacter sphaeroides.
abstract: All bacteria contain multiple exoribonucleases to ensure a fast breakdown of different RNA molecules, either for maturation or for complete degradation to the level of mononucleotides. This efficient RNA degradation plays pivotal roles in the post-transcriptional gene regulation, in RNA processing and maturation as well as in RNA quality control mechanisms and global adaption to stress conditions. Besides different 3'-to-5' exoribonucleases mostly with overlapping functions in vivo many bacteria additionally possess the 5'-to-3' exoribonuclease, RNase J, to date the only known bacterial ribonuclease with this activity. An RNA-seq approach was applied to identify specific targets of RNase J in the α-proteobacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Only few transcripts were strongly affected by the lack of RNase J implying that its function is mostly required for specific processing/degradation steps in this bacterium. The accumulation of diverse RNA fragments in the RNase J deletion mutant points to RNA features that apparently cannot be targeted by the conventional 3'-exoribonucleases in Gram-negative bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, University of Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rische-Grahl
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, University of Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, University of Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Remes
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; Research Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Konrad U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Förstner
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, University of Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klug
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005095:Exoribonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D020871:RNA Stability; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D012242:Rhodobacter sphaeroides / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005095:Exoribonucleases
keywords: RNA decay; RNase J; ribosome degradation