编辑机器:锥虫RNA编辑复合体(译文)

包括底物前体mRNA和指导RNA（gRNA)在内的核糖核蛋白复合体的装配和解装配是RNA编辑的起始和增殖的关键。本文讨论了这些复合体的组成,以及它们的装配是如何调控RNA编辑的。     

促红细胞生成素的分泌过程三维模式图

DNA经转录得到前体 m RNA,进一步剪切加工修饰得到成熟的 m RNA。核糖核蛋白体与 m RNA串连成多聚核糖核蛋白体 ,并通过信号识别颗粒及其受体结合于粗面内质网膜上 ,新合成的蛋白质进入内质网腔 ,经过加工修饰 ,以转运小泡的形式 ,运输到高尔基复合体。高尔基复合体由大囊泡、小囊泡和扁平囊组成 ,呈弯曲圆盘状。凸面称形成面或顺面 ,朝向胞核 ,凹面称分泌面或反面 ,朝向细胞表面 ,小囊泡多位于顺面 ,由粗面内质网出芽而来 ,运送新合成的蛋白质到扁平囊中 ,并不断补充扁平囊的膜结构。蛋白质在囊腔中经进一步加工修饰 ,由扁平囊两端和…     

真核生物中的微小RNA及其功能研究进展

真核生物中存在两种主要的非编码RNA(non-coding RNA),在真核生物中发挥重要作用。一类为微小RNA(microRNA,miRNA),另一为小干扰RNA(siRNA)。miRNA大小为19～25nt,在体内与蛋白质形成核糖核蛋白复合体(miRNP),在真核基因的表达调控,生长发育中起重要作用。siRNA在RNA干扰(RNA地 interference,RNAi)途径中起定位特异mRNA的作用。miRNA与siRNA有联系也有区别。miRNA在真核生物中的调控机制具有保守性。     

核内不均一核糖核蛋白在前体mRNA加工中的功能

核内不均一核糖核蛋白(hnRNP)是一类存在于真核生物体内具有类似结构特征的高丰度RNA结合蛋白,一般均匀分布在核内。多种hnRNP具有多样的功能,参与从转录调节,前体mRNA剪接,mRNA输出到mRNA降解等多种生物过程,从而进行基因表达调控。现着重介绍hnRNP在前体mRNA加工过程(加帽,剪接,加尾,输出,选择性降解)中的功能及研究进展。     

小细胞核核糖核蛋白体(snRNP)

大约十年前,人们在真核生物基因表达过程中,在细胞核中发现一种小细胞核RNA(snRNA),它与特殊的蛋白质结合成为小细胞核核糖核蛋白体(small nuclear ribonucle0pr0tein particle,简称snRNP),参与前体mRNA(pre-mRNA)的剪接。我们知道,真核生物的基因表达比较复杂,它的DNA碱基序列中包含编码序列称外显子,也插入非编码序列称内含子。DNA在核中转录出的mRNA同时含有外显子和内含子,不能做为模板翻译出蛋白质,而必须在细     

多种功能的poly(C)-结合蛋白

细胞内的RNA一般不会单独存在,而是与各种各样的RNA结合蛋白（RBPs）绑定在一起,形成核糖核蛋白复合体（RNP complexes）影响着RNA的加工与转归. Poly(C) 结合蛋白是一类重要的RNA结合蛋白,可分为两组：hnRNP K 和PCBP1 4. 它们以序列特异的方式与核酸嘧啶富含区相结合. 这类蛋白具有共同的结构模体（motif）,即hnRNP K 同源（KH）域. KH域是与mRNA结合的结构基础,也是机体内调控系统的组成部分,可使得Poly(C) 结合蛋白参与蛋白/核酸、蛋白/蛋白之间的相互作用,范围涉及复制、转录、mRNA稳定和翻译控制过程等. 对Poly(C) 结合蛋白功能的深刻认识可使我们洞察多种疾病的病理生理过程.     

Prp8蛋白在前体mRNA剪接中的作用

前体mRNA的剪接是基因表达的关键一步,发生在蛋白质的转录之后与合成之前.在前体mRNA剪接加工过程中需要将转录本中的内含子切除,因为它会干扰基因的转录.前体mRNA的剪接发生在细胞核中,是在一个大的RNA与蛋白质的复合物即剪接体的催化下完成的.Prp8 （precursor mRNA processing）是参与前体mRNA剪接的最大的蛋白,其序列从酵母到人类是高度保守的.Prp8同时也是细胞核内一个最重要的剪接因子.在剪接过程中,Prp8组成剪接体的催化中心.有人推断Prp8是剪接体的支架蛋白,很可能在催化中心起到锚定RNA的作用,同时也调节着激活剪接体所必需的构象变化.Prp8还与色素性视网膜炎的发生密切相关.     

狼疮La蛋白的分子生物学研究进展

狼疮La蛋白,又叫La核糖核蛋白、La自身抗原或干燥综合征B型抗原,是原发性干燥综合征的特异性自身抗原之一。La蛋白拥有多种结构和运输元件,可定位于不同的亚细胞部位与RNA相互作用。通常I丑蛋白主要存在于细胞核内,作为RNA聚合酶Ⅲ的转录因子,与RNA聚合酶Ⅲ转录新生产物结合,调节其转录终止,在转录后发挥分子伴侣作用,稳定RNA前体并促进其正确折叠,帮助其进行加工处理。La蛋白还可以与一类拥有内部核糖体进入位点的细胞内mRNA和病毒RNA结合,调节这类RNA的表达翻译;也可在细胞凋亡时被颗粒酶B酶解,产生特异性酶解片段,诱导特异性抗La自身抗体和干燥综合征的生成。我们就I丑蛋白的分子生物学方面的近期研究进展进行综述。     

RNA研究的一些新进展——RNA生物功能的多样性

近几年发现某些RNA具有酶(Ribozyme)的催化功能。这不仅改变了酶都是蛋白质的传统观念,而且认为在远古时期RNA可能就具有自我复制的活力,因而RNA是先于DNA和蛋白质的最早出现的生物大分子。真核细胞mRNA的剪接机制比较复杂,至今还远没有搞清楚。现在知道,必须通过一个由2′,5′磷酸二酯键形成的“套环”结构,另外还有一类核蛋白体(snRNP)参与反应。反义RNA通过其碱基序列与相关的mRNA形成互补碱基对的方式影响mRNA的翻译。tRNA是蛋白质生物合成中必不可少的一类RNA。此外,它还有其它重要的生物功能。     

高等植物的一种叶绿体转录系统

引言 近几年来,在DNA序列水平上对质体基因组的结构做了广泛的研究。与之相比,对于叶绿体基因表达机理,为叶绿体RNA聚合酶所使用的促动子的组成分,以及对转录活性的时间和发育控制的调节区域却知道得很少。随着具有转录活性的叶绿体DNA蛋白质复合体--有转录活性的染色体(TAC)的分离,更详细地研究叶绿体核蛋白 。     

Roles of protein subunits in RNA-protein complexes: lessons from ribonuclease P

Ribonucleoproteins (RNP) are involved in many essential processes in life. However, the roles of RNA and protein subunits in an RNP complex are often hard to dissect. In many RNP complexes, including the ribosome and the Group II introns, one main function of the protein subunits is to facilitate RNA folding. However, in other systems, the protein subunits may perform additional functions, and can affect the biological activities of the RNP complexes. In this review, we use ribonuclease P (RNase P) as an example to illustrate how the protein subunit of this RNP affects different aspects of catalysis. RNase P plays an essential role in the processing of the precursor to transfer RNA (pre-tRNA) and is found in all three domains of life. While every cell has an RNase P (ribonuclease P) enzyme, only the bacterial and some of the archaeal RNase P RNAs (RNA component of RNase P) are active in vitro in the absence of the RNase P protein. RNase P is a remarkable enzyme in the fact that it has a conserved catalytic core composed of RNA around which a diverse array of protein(s) interact to create the RNase P holoenzyme. This combination of highly conserved RNA and altered protein components is a puzzle that allows the dissection of the functional roles of protein subunits in these RNP complexes.     

Trax is a component of the Translin-containing RNA binding complex

Translin is a nucleic acid binding protein that has been implicated in regulating the targeting and translation of dendritic RNA. In previous studies, we found that Translin and its partner protein, Trax, are components of a gel-shift complex that is highly enriched in brain extracts. In those studies, we employed a DNA oligonucleotide, GS1, as a probe to label the complex. Translin has also been identified as a component of a gel-shift complex detected using an RNA oligonucleotide probe, derived from the 3' UTR of protamine-2 mRNA. Although we had assumed that these probes labeled the same complex, recent studies indicate that association of Trax with Translin suppresses its RNA binding activity. As these findings challenge this assumption and suggest that the native RNA binding complex does not contain Trax, we have re-examined this issue. We have found that the gel-shift complexes labeled with either GS1 or protamine-2 probes are "supershifted" by addition of Trax antibodies, indicating that both are heteromeric Translin/Trax complexes. In addition, cross-competition studies provide additional evidence that these probes label the same complex. Furthermore, analysis of recombinant Translin/Trax complexes generated by co-transfection of Trax with Translin in hEK293T demonstrates that they are labeled with either probe. Although recombinant Translin forms a homomeric nucleic acid binding complex in vitro, our findings indicate that both Trax and Translin are components of the native gel-shift complex labeled with either GS1 or protamine-2 probes.     

The PNPase,exosome and RNA helicases as the building components of evolutionarily-conserved RNA degradation machines

The structure and function of polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) and the exosome, as well as their associated RNA-helicases proteins, are described in the light of recent studies. The picture raised is of an evolutionarily conserved RNA-degradation machine which exonucleolytically degrades RNA from 3′ to 5′. In prokaryotes and in eukaryotic organelles, a trimeric complex of PNPase forms a circular doughnut-shaped structure, in which the phosphorolysis catalytic sites are buried inside the barrel-shaped complex, while the RNA binding domains create a pore where RNA enters, reminiscent of the protein degrading complex, the proteasome. In some archaea and in the eukaryotes, several different proteins form a similar circle-shaped complex, the exosome, that is responsible for 3′ to 5′ exonucleolytic degradation of RNA as part of the processing, quality control, and general RNA degradation process. Both PNPase in prokaryotes and the exosome in eukaryotes are found in association with protein complexes that notably include RNA helicase.     

Air proteins control differential TRAMP substrate specificity for nuclear RNA surveillance

RNA surveillance systems function at critical steps during the formation and function of RNA molecules in all organisms. The RNA exosome plays a central role in RNA surveillance by processing and degrading RNA molecules in the nucleus and cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. The exosome functions as a complex of proteins composed of a nine-member core and two ribonucleases. The identity of the molecular determinants of exosome RNA substrate specificity remains an important unsolved aspect of RNA surveillance. In the nucleus of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, TRAMP complexes recognize and polyadenylate RNAs, which enhances RNA degradation by the exosome and may contribute to its specificity. TRAMPs contain either of two putative RNA-binding factors called Air proteins. Previous studies suggested that these proteins function interchangeably in targeting the poly(A)-polymerase activity of TRAMPs to RNAs. Experiments reported here show that the Air proteins govern separable functions. Phenotypic analysis and RNA deep-sequencing results from air mutants reveal specific requirements for each Air protein in the regulation of the levels of noncoding and coding RNAs. Loss of these regulatory functions results in specific metabolic and plasmid inheritance defects. These findings reveal differential functions for Air proteins in RNA metabolism and indicate that they control the substrate specificity of the RNA exosome.