Mutations in an RNP1 consensus sequence of Rho protein reduce RNA binding affinity but facilitate helicase turnover

Escherichia coli rho protein facilitates transcription termination by a mechanism that involves rho binding to the nascent RNA, activation of rho's RNA-dependent ATPase activity, and release of the mRNA from the DNA template. The initial step, formation of a rho-RNA complex, is mediated primarily by an RNA binding domain included within the amino-terminal 151 amino acids of rho protein. We have now identified one specific portion of this region that is involved in RNA binding, by photocross-linking and by site-directed mutagenesis. UV irradiation of rho-RNA complexes results in covalent attachment of the RNA to a single peptide in rho that apparently spans amino acids 45-100. Within this peptide is a ribonucleoprotein (RNP1) consensus sequence, Gly-Phe-Gly-Phe, that is present in many RNA-binding proteins. Mutagenesis of the phenylalanine residues in this consensus to leucine or alanine results in mutant proteins that are defective for RNA binding and have altered ATPase and RNA-DNA helicase activities. The weakened affinity but increased salt sensitivity of RNA binding by the mutant proteins suggests that they have lost more than just a set of nonionic interactions and are consistent with a change in the conformation of the RNA binding site. Whatever the changes, they appear localized primarily to the RNA binding domain because the mutants retain much of their RNA-dependent ATPase activity. We infer that the Phe residues themselves do not play a substantial role in the activation of ATP hydrolysis. Our results indicate that several different components of RNA interaction are required for rho activity and support a role for the RNP1 consensus region of rho in at least one specific aspect of RNA binding.