Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.4.1 (phosphodiesterase)
 18,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Nucleic acid "lariats" have been of great interest to the biological community since their discovery two decades ago as splicing intermediates in the biosynthesis of messenger RNA (lariat RNA introns). We report here the first synthesis of lariat DNA and RNA via template-mediated chemical ligation of Y-shaped oligonucleotides. The method allows for the synthesis of lariat DNA of any base composition as well as the more biologically relevant lariat RNA. Typically, branched precursors and complementary linear templates ("splints") were dissolved in an equimolar ratio at a total concentration of 10(-4) M, and ligation was promoted by addition of cyanogen bromide in a pH 7.6 buffer. The template-directed cyclization was very efficient, since the amount of circularized lariat product observed in all cases was in the 40-60% range. The lariats were purified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and their structure and nucleotide composition confirmed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Thermal denaturation and circular dichroism studies of lariat:RNA and lariat:DNA duplexes were fully supportive of the isolated "lasso" structures. Further characterization was conducted by enzymatic degradation with spleen phosphodiesterase (a 3'-exonuclease) and the RNA lariat debranching enzyme, a specific 2',5'-phosphodiesterase.
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PMID:Template-mediated synthesis of lariat RNA and DNA. 1457 54

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae DBR1 gene encodes a 2'-5' phosphodiesterase that debranches intron RNA lariats following splicing. Yeast dbr1 mutants accumulate intron lariats and are also defective for mobility of the retrotransposons Ty1 and Ty3. We used a mutagenic PCR method to generate a collection of dbr1 mutant alleles to explore the relationship between the roles of DBR1 in transposition and debranching. Eight mutants defective for Ty1 transposition contained single amino acid changes in Dbr1p. Two mutations, G84A and N85D, are in a conserved phosphoesterase motif that is believed to be part of the active site of the enzyme, supporting a connection between enzymatic activity and Ty1 transposition. Two other mutations, Y68F and Y68D, occur at a potential phosphorylation site, and we have shown that Dbr1p is phosphorylated on tyrosine. We have developed an RNase protection assay to quantitate intron RNA accumulation in cells. The assay uses RNA probes that hybridize to ACT1 intron RNA. Protection patterns confirm that sequences from the 5' end of the intron to the lariat branch point accumulate in dbr1 mutants in a branched (lariat) conformation. RNase protection assays indicate that all of the newly generated dbr1 mutant alleles are also deficient for debranching, further supporting a role for 2'-5' phosphodiesterase activity in Ty1 transposition. A Ty1 element lacking most of its internal sequences transposes independently of DBR1. The existence of Dbr1p-dependent Ty1 sequences raises the possibility that Dbr1p acts on Ty1 RNA.
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PMID:Relationship between RNA lariat debranching and Ty1 element retrotransposition. 1461 Feb 1