Summary
Ribonuclease P is an enzyme that cleaves tRNA precursors to generate the 5’ termini of mature tRNA sequences. In E. coli this enzyme consists of a catalytic RNA subunit and a protein cofactor. In the absence of direct cloning of the gene for the RNA component and functional assays of the transcript of that cloned gene, it is possible to perform other biochemical tests to determine if the enzymatic activity has an essential RNA component. These include, for example, in- activation of the enzymatic activity by pretreatment with another ribonuclease and determination of the buoyant density, which may be characteristic of an RNA-protein complex, as well as direct labeling, identification, and functional assay of RNA components of the enzyme.
Extracts of many eukaryotes have been assayed for the presence of an RNAse P-like activity and, in every case thus far examined, one has been found. These activities are located in the nucleus. A separate activity is found in cell organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts. In those cases where tests have been performed, the RNAse P-like activities have been inactivated by pretreatment with other ribonucleases, though the data regarding an activity from X. laevis is not unanimous on this point. These activities, where measured, have a buoyant density characteristic of RNA-protein complexes. However, no RNA from a eukaryote has yet been shown to have RNAse P catalytic activity by itself in vitro. Nevertheless, by conventional definition, RNAse P can be considered to be a snRNP in eukaryotes.
The function of RNAse P is conserved across species lines. That is, enzymatic activities from particular organisms are capable of cleaving substrates from other organisms. Hybrid holoenzymes can also be formed with subunits from different species. The primary sequence of the genes coding for the subunits, however, has drifted rapidly during evolution.
RNA species other than the RNA component of RNAse P and certain already identified self-splicing rRNA and mRNA precursors may also have catalytic function.
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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Altman, S., Gold, H.A., Bartkiewicz, M. (1988). Ribonuclease P as a snRNP. In: Birnstiel, M.L. (eds) Structure and Function of Major and Minor Small Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Particles. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73020-7_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73020-7_7
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