PMID: 12758073May 22, 2003Paper

Functionally distinct nucleic acid binding sites for a group I intron encoded RNA maturase/DNA homing endonuclease

Journal of Molecular Biology
Piyali ChatterjeeMark G Caprara

Abstract

A large number of group I introns encode a family of homologous proteins that either promote intron splicing (maturases) or are site-specific DNA endonucleases that function in intron mobility (a process called "homing"). Genetic studies have shown that some of these proteins have both activities, yet how a single protein carries out both functions remains obscure. The similarity between respective DNA-binding sites and the RNA structure near the 5' and 3' splice sites has fueled speculation that such proteins may use analogous interactions to perform both functions. The Aspergillus nidulans mitochondrial COB group I intron encodes a bi-functional protein, I-AniI, that has both RNA maturase and site-specific DNA endonuclease activities in vitro. Here, we show that I-AniI shows distinctive features of the endonuclease family to which it belongs, including highly specific, tight binding and sequential DNA strand cleavage. Competition experiments demonstrate that I-AniI binds the COB intron RNA even in saturating concentrations of its DNA target site substrate, suggesting that the protein has a separate binding site for RNA. In addition, we provide evidence that two different DNA-binding site mutants of I-AniI have little effect o...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 29, 2004·Nature Structural & Molecular Biology·Nikolai Windbichler, Renée Schroeder
Aug 24, 2005·Nature Structural & Molecular Biology·Antonella LongoKevin M Weeks
Sep 11, 2007·BMC Evolutionary Biology·Peik HaugenKathleen M Pryer
Aug 28, 2007·Journal of Molecular Biology·Michelle Scalley-KimBarry L Stoddard
Jun 19, 2008·The Plant Journal : for Cell and Molecular Biology·Andéol Falcon de LongevialleIan Small
Nov 9, 2004·Current Opinion in Genetics & Development·Austin Burt, Vassiliki Koufopanou
Mar 17, 2005·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·Aubrey D N J de Grey
Apr 22, 2005·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Vassiliki Koufopanou, Austin Burt

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