Characterization of a DEAD box ATPase/RNA helicase protein of Arabidopsis thaliana

We have isolated cDNAs encoding a novel member of the DEAD box RNA helicase family from Arabidopsis. The protein, named AtDRH1, is composed of 619 amino acids and the central portion has high similarity with the helicase core region of a prototypic RNA helicase, the human nuclear protein p68. The N- and C-terminal regions are considerably diverged from the animal and yeast p68 homologs at the amino acid sequence level, but like the p68 subfamily members, an RGG box-like domain is present near the C-terminus. RNA blot analysis showed that the AtDRH1 transcript accumulates at a high level and almost equally in every part of the Arabidopsis plant. The purified, recombinant AtDRH1 was capable of unwinding double-stranded RNA in the presence of ATP or dATP and of hydrolyzing ATP. The ATPase activity was stimulated by some single-stranded RNAs and DNAs, including poly(A) and poly(dT), but not by poly(dA). The ability of the polynucleotides to stimulate the ATPase activity was largely consistent with their affinity for AtDRH1. These results show that AtDRH1 is a novel type of ATP/dATP-dependent RNA helicase and polynucleotide-dependent ATPase.