Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.1.26.3 (RNase III)
1,015 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA) from HeLa cells contains intramolecular duplexes. Since hnRNA is associated with protein in vivo, it is possible that the double-stranded regions observed in deproteinized hnRNA form spontaneously upon the release of protein from single-stranded but potentially complementary sequences. We show here that this is not the case for a class of double-stranded sequences that is defined by resistance to RNases A + T(1) at high ionic strength. Exposure of HeLa hnRNA.ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) particles to Escherichia coli RNase III, a double-strand-specific endoribonuclease, destroys most of the sequences resistant to RNases A + T(1). This effect is completely blocked when hnRNP is exposed to RNase III in the presence of an excess of purified double-stranded RNA. In addition, we show that there exist two classes of double-stranded RNA in hnRNP at a salt concentration of 0.13 M. These are distinguished by their relative resistance to RNases A + T(1). The more stable double-stranded sequences, which are resistant to RNases A + T(1) at 0.13 M, comprise 1.0-1.1% of the nucleotides in hnRNP. The less stable double-stranded sequences comprise an additional 1.5-2.0% of the nucleotides in hnRNP. These are sensitive to RNase III at 0.13 M, but are not resistant to RNases A + T(1) unless the salt concentration is raised to 0.63 M. The demonstration that double-stranded sequences resistant to RNases A + T(1) exist in native ribonucleoprotein and are not artifacts of deproteinization now makes it appropriate to seriously consider their possible functional role in hnRNA metabolism, perhaps as binding sites for regulatory proteins involved in mRNA processing.
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PMID:Secondary structure of heterogeneous nuclear RNA: two classes of double-stranded RNA in native ribonucleoprotein. 41 25

A ribonucleoprotein particle (46S) has been isolated from [3H]uridine pulse-labeled cultures of E. Coli AB301/105. Evidence from pulse chase experiments and from protein analysis suggested that this particle may give rise to both the 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits. Direct deproteinization of the particle yielded 30S RNA, while deproteinization after treatment with a crude RNase III preparation yielded products similar to 23S and 16S RNA. This result is consistent with the idea that the 46S ribonucleoprotein is the in vivo counterpart of 30S RNA, which is the in vitro product obtained after phenol extraction.
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PMID:A ribonucleoprotein precursor of both the 30S and 50S ribosomal sunbunits of Escherichia coli. 109 84

In Neurospora, the gene encoding the mitochondrial large (25S) ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) contains an intervening sequence of approximately 2.3 kilobases (kb). We have identified two temperature-sensitive mutants (289-67 and 299-9) which are defective in a factor encoded by a nuclear gene but required for the splicing of 25S RNA. When grown at the nonpermissive temperature (37 degrees C), the mutants accumulate a novel 35S RNA (5.2-5.6 kb) which is related to the natural precursor of 25S RNA and which has been shown to be a collinear transcript of the 25S RNA gene including the intervening sequence. In the present work, the secondary structure of 35S RNA was investigated by digestion with ribonuclease III and by electron microscopy of the RNA spread under partially denaturing conditions. Ribonuclease III cleaves 35S RNA predominantly at a central site or sites near the 5'-intron-exon boundary and produces fragments which correspond roughly to half-molecules (2.5-3 kb). Electron microscopy of 35S RNA shows a relatively large, central hairpin (180 +/- 45 nucleotides), which presumably corresponds to the central ribonuclease III site, and few other secondary structure features. Both experimental approaches indicate that the large hairpin is not present in 35S RNA. From this finding and from the location of the hairpin near the 5'-intron-exon boundary in 35S RNA, we infer that its formation requires intron sequences. 35S RNA from the mutants can be isolated as a ribonucleoprotein particle associated with almost the full complement of large subunit ribosomal proteins. The 35S RNA in such particles can be cleaved by ribonuclease III at the central site(s), consistent with the idea that the central hairpin is accessible to RNA-processing enzymes in vivo.
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PMID:Ribonucleic acid splicing in Neurospora Mitochondria: secondary structure of the 35S ribosomal precursor ribonucleic acid investigated by digestion with ribonuclease III and by electron microscopy. 626 46

Yeast Rnt1 is a member of the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-specific RNase III family identified by conserved dsRNA binding (dsRBD) and nuclease domains. Comparative sequence analyses have revealed an additional N-terminal domain unique to the eukaryotic homologues of RNase III. The deletion of this domain from Rnt1 slowed growth and led to mild accumulation of unprocessed 25S pre-rRNA. In vitro, deletion of the N-terminal domain reduced the rate of RNA cleavage under physiological salt concentration. Size exclusion chromatography and cross-linking assays indicated that the N-terminal domain and the dsRBD self-interact to stabilize the Rnt1 homodimer. In addition, an interaction between the N-terminal domain and the dsRBD was identified by a two-hybrid assay. The results suggest that the eukaryotic N-terminal domain of Rnt1 ensures efficient dsRNA cleavage by mediating the assembly of optimum Rnt1-RNA ribonucleoprotein complex.
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PMID:The N-terminal domain that distinguishes yeast from bacterial RNase III contains a dimerization signal required for efficient double-stranded RNA cleavage. 1064 95

PAZ PIWI domain (PPD) proteins, together with the RNA cleavage products of Dicer, form ribonucleoprotein complexes called RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISCs). RISCs mediate gene silencing through targeted messenger RNA cleavage and translational suppression. The PAZ domains of PPD and Dicer proteins were originally thought to mediate binding between PPD proteins and Dicer, although no evidence exists to support this theory. Here we show that PAZ domains are not required for PPD protein-Dicer interactions. Rather, a subregion of the PIWI domain in PPD proteins, the PIWI-box, binds directly to the Dicer RNase III domain. Stable binding between PPD proteins and Dicer was dependent on the activity of Hsp90. Unexpectedly, binding of PPD proteins to Dicer inhibits the RNase activity of this enzyme in vitro. Lastly, we show that PPD proteins and Dicer are present in soluble and membrane-associated fractions, indicating that interactions between these two types of proteins may occur in multiple compartments.
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PMID:Characterization of the interactions between mammalian PAZ PIWI domain proteins and Dicer. 1474 16

In contrast to studies with genetically modified viruses, RNA interference allows the analysis of virus infections with identical viruses and posttranscriptional ablation of individual gene functions. Using RNase III-generated multiple short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) against the six measles virus genes, we found efficient downregulation of viral gene expression in general with siRNAs against the nucleocapsid (N), phosphoprotein (P), and polymerase (L) mRNAs, the translation products of which form the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. Silencing of the RNP mRNAs was highly efficient in reducing viral messenger and genomic RNAs. siRNAs against the mRNAs for the hemagglutinin (H) and fusion (F) proteins reduced the extent of cell-cell fusion. Interestingly, siRNA-mediated knockdown of the matrix (M) protein not only enhanced cell-cell fusion but also increased the levels of both mRNAs and genomic RNA by a factor of 2 to 2.5 so that the genome-to-mRNA ratio was constant. These findings indicate that M acts as a negative regulator of viral polymerase activity, affecting mRNA transcription and genome replication to the same extent.
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PMID:RNA interference with measles virus N, P, and L mRNAs efficiently prevents and with matrix protein mRNA enhances viral transcription. 1673 33

In bakers' yeast, in vivo telomerase activity requires a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex with at least four associated proteins (Est2p, Est1p, Est3p, and Cdc13p) and one RNA species (Tlc1). The function of telomerase in maintaining chromosome ends, called telomeres, is tightly regulated and linked to the cell cycle. However, the mechanisms that regulate the expression of individual components of telomerase are poorly understood. Here we report that yeast RNase III (Rnt1p), a double-stranded RNA-specific endoribonuclease, regulates the expression of telomerase subunits and is required for maintaining normal telomere length. Deletion or inactivation of RNT1 induced the expression of Est1, Est2, Est3, and Tlc1 RNAs and increased telomerase activity, leading to elongation of telomeric repeat tracts. In silico analysis of the different RNAs coding for the telomerase subunits revealed a canonical Rnt1p cleavage site near the 3' end of Est1 mRNA. This predicted structure was cleaved by Rnt1p and its disruption abolished cleavage in vitro. Mutation of the Rnt1p cleavage signal in vivo impaired the cell cycle-dependent degradation of Est1 mRNA without affecting its steady-state level. These results reveal a new mechanism that influences telomeres length by controlling the expression of the telomerase subunits.
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PMID:RNase III-dependent regulation of yeast telomerase. 1715 80

Chloroplast genomes in land plants harbor approximately 20 group II introns. Genetic approaches have identified proteins involved in the splicing of many of these introns, but the proteins identified to date cannot account for the large size of intron ribonucleoprotein complexes and are not sufficient to reconstitute splicing in vitro. Here, we describe an additional protein that promotes chloroplast group II intron splicing in vivo. This protein, RNC1, was identified by mass spectrometry analysis of maize (Zea mays) proteins that coimmunoprecipitate with two previously identified chloroplast splicing factors, CAF1 and CAF2. RNC1 is a plant-specific protein that contains two ribonuclease III (RNase III) domains, the domain that harbors the active site of RNase III and Dicer enzymes. However, several amino acids that are essential for catalysis by RNase III and Dicer are missing from the RNase III domains in RNC1. RNC1 is found in complexes with a subset of chloroplast group II introns that includes but is not limited to CAF1- and CAF2-dependent introns. The splicing of many of the introns with which it associates is disrupted in maize rnc1 insertion mutants, indicating that RNC1 facilitates splicing in vivo. Recombinant RNC1 binds both single-stranded and double-stranded RNA with no discernible sequence specificity and lacks endonuclease activity. These results suggest that RNC1 is recruited to specific introns via protein-protein interactions and that its role in splicing involves RNA binding but not RNA cleavage activity.
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PMID:A ribonuclease III domain protein functions in group II intron splicing in maize chloroplasts. 1769 27

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) guide catalytic sequence-specific cleavage of fully or nearly fully complementary target mRNAs or control translation and/or stability of many mRNAs that share 6-8 nucleotides (nt) of complementarity to the siRNA and miRNA 5' end. siRNA- and miRNA-containing ribonucleoprotein silencing complexes are assembled from double-stranded 21- to 23-nt RNase III processing intermediates that carry 5' phosphates and 2-nt overhangs with free 3' hydroxyl groups. Despite the structural symmetry of a duplex siRNA, the nucleotide sequence asymmetry can generate a bias for preferred loading of one of the two duplex-forming strands into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). Here we show that the 5'-phosphorylation status of the siRNA strands also acts as an important determinant for strand selection. 5'-O-methylated siRNA duplexes refractory to 5' phosphorylation were examined for their biases in siRNA strand selection. Asymmetric, single methylation of siRNA duplexes reduced the occupancy of the silencing complex by the methylated strand with concomitant elimination of its off-targeting signature and enhanced off-targeting signature of the phosphorylated strand. Methylation of both siRNA strands reduced but did not completely abolish RNA silencing, without affecting strand selection relative to that of the unmodified siRNA. We conclude that asymmetric 5' modification of siRNA duplexes can be useful for controlling targeting specificity.
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PMID:Strand-specific 5'-O-methylation of siRNA duplexes controls guide strand selection and targeting specificity. 1809 21

Genome-binding proteins with scaffolding and/or regulatory functions are common in living organisms and include histones in eukaryotic cells, histone-like proteins in some double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses, and the nucleocapsid proteins of single-stranded RNA viruses. dsRNA viruses nevertheless lack these ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes and are characterized by sharing an icosahedral T=2 core involved in the metabolism and insulation of the dsRNA genome. The birnaviruses, with a bipartite dsRNA genome, constitute a well-established exception and have a single-shelled T=13 capsid only. Moreover, as in many negative single-stranded RNA viruses, the genomic dsRNA is bound to a nucleocapsid protein (VP3) and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (VPg). We used electron microscopy and functional analysis to characterize these RNP complexes of infectious bursal disease virus, the best characterized member of the Birnaviridae family. Mild disruption of viral particles revealed that VP3, the most abundant core protein, present at approximately 450 copies per virion, is found in filamentous material tightly associated with the dsRNA. We developed a method to purify RNP and VPg-dsRNA complexes. Analysis of these complexes showed that they are linear molecules containing a constant amount of protein. Sensitivity assays to nucleases indicated that VP3 renders the genomic dsRNA less accessible for RNase III without introducing genome compaction. Additionally, we found that these RNP complexes are functionally competent for RNA synthesis in a capsid-independent manner, in contrast to most dsRNA viruses.
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PMID:Infectious Bursal disease virus: ribonucleoprotein complexes of a double-stranded RNA virus. 1906


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