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A mammalian RNA editing enzyme

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Abstract

EDITING of RNA1 by site-selective adenosine deamination alters codons in brain-expressed pre-messenger RNAs for glutamate receptor (GluR) subunits2–4 including a codon for a channel determinant (Q/R site) in GluR-B, which controls the Ca2+ permeability of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors5,6. Editing of GluR pre-mRNAs requires a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) structure formed by exonic and intronic sequences4,7 and is catalysed by an unknown dsRNA adenosine deaminase. Here we report the cloning of complementary DNA for RED1, a dsRNA adenosine deaminase expressed in brain and peripheral tissues that efficiently edits the Q/R site in GluR-B pre-mRNA in vitro. This site is poorly edited by DRADA, which is distantly sequence-related to RED1. Both deaminases edit the R/G site in GluR-B pre-mRNA, indicating that members of an emerging gene family catalyse adenosine deamination in nuclear transcripts with distinct but overlapping substrate specificities.

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Author notes

  1. Peter H. Seeburg: To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Centre for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), University of Heidelberg, INF 282, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Thorsten Melcher, Stefan Maas, Anne Herb, Rolf Sprengel, Peter H. Seeburg & Miyoko Higuchi

Authors
  1. Thorsten Melcher
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  2. Stefan Maas
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  3. Anne Herb
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  4. Rolf Sprengel
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  5. Peter H. Seeburg
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  6. Miyoko Higuchi
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Melcher, T., Maas, S., Herb, A. et al. A mammalian RNA editing enzyme. Nature 379, 460–464 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/379460a0

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