Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.16.2 (PCP)
 3,761 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Mitochondrial gene expression in kinetoplastid organisms such as Trypanosoma, Leishmania and Crithidia requires a posttranscriptional RNA processing event known as kRNA editing. During editing, uridine nucleotides get inserted and deleted into pre-mRNAs directed by small, metabolically stable RNAs, termed guide RNAs. Although the precise mechanism of the reaction is not understood, the accepted working model describes the formation of extended anti-parallel RNA helices between gRNA molecules with pre- and partially edited mRNAs as intermediates. These duplex structures must be separated to ensure the sequential action of multiple gRNAs in a 3' to 5' polarity on the mRNA molecule. In spite of this fact, no unwinding activity has heretofore been identified in kinetoplastid mitochondria. We report the characterisation of a RNA helicase activity within Trypanosoma brucei mitochondrial extracts. The activity unwinds 25- and 48 bp, tailed RNA duplex structures but fails to separate DNA strands. It can be destroyed by heat denaturation as well as by proteinase K treatment. The activity requires magnesium cations and acts in a NTP/dNTP dependent manner. Hydrolysis of a nucleoside triphosphate is required rather than mere NTP binding as deduced from a comparison of unwinding in the presence of ATP and AMP-PCP. RNA duplexes mimicking presumed kRNA editing intermediates are substrates of the unwinding activity and therefore, we address the possible involvement of a RNA helicase activity during kRNA editing.
 ...
PMID:Trypanosoma brucei mitochondria contain RNA helicase activity. 752 33

We investigate the mechanisms underlying the intracellular calcium pulse that occurs in response to extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in osteoclasts. We find that pre-loading of GDP-beta-S abolishes the response in Ca(2+)-free medium, demonstrating an internal release of Ca2+ via a pathway that involves a G protein. GDP-beta-S does not block in normal Ca(2+)-containing medium, suggesting that ATP also induces a Ca2+ influx across the cell membrane. We confirmed this using the Mn2+ quenching technique, which shows significant opening of Ca2+ channels. We find a smaller response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and 2-methylthio-ATP (2-MeSATP), but no response to beta, gamma-methylene-ATP (AMP-PCP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP) or uridine triphosphate (UTP). Prior application of AMP and UTP, but not AMP-PCP, blocks the response to ATP. Our results indicate that the receptor is a P2 subtype that is not characteristic of any previously reported P2 receptor or combination of P2 receptors.
 ...
PMID:Mechanisms of ATP-induced Ca2+ signaling in osteoclasts. 771 10