A precursor for a small stable RNA (10Sa RNA) of Escherichia coli

Strains carrying plasmids that code for 10Sa RNA synthesize a larger molecule when the RNA processing enzyme RNase E is inactivated. The T1 fingerprint of 10Sa RNA and the larger molecule is very similar, but the latter contains additional oligonucleotides. We show that the larger RNA is converted to the smaller, mature RNA. The precursor molecule starts with an adenosine triphosphate and is therefore a primary transcript. RNase E is not the enzyme that processes p10Sa (precursor 10Sa) RNA into 10Sa RNA. The cell extract contains an activity that carries out this conversion. This activity requires the dication Mn2+.