一种启动RNA依赖RNA聚合的机制
S J Butcher1, J M Grimes, E V Makeyev
1Institute of Biotechnology and Department of Biosciences, Viikki Biocenter, PO Box 56 (Viikinkaari 5), 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Nature
|March 10, 2001
概括
研究人员确定了一个关键的病毒酶的结构,揭示了双链RNA病毒和病毒之间的进化联系. 这一发现为病毒RNA复制和转录启动提供了一个新的模型.
科学领域:
- 病毒学 病毒学
- 结构生物学 结构生物学
- 分子生物学分子生物学
背景情况:
- 病毒RNA依赖RNA聚合酶对于RNA病毒的复制和转录至关重要.
- 双链RNA病毒利用囊体内的酶进行这些过程,能够读取单链和双链RNA.
- 之前对病毒体的结构研究缺乏聚合酶子单元的详细分辨率.
研究的目的:
- 阐明来自双链RNA细菌phi6.6的活性聚合酶子单元的结构.
- 为了研究双链RNA病毒和病毒之间的进化关系.
- 提出一种启动病毒RNA复制和转录的机制.
主要方法:
- 在2 Å分辨率的X射线晶体学以确定phi6聚合酶子单元的结构.
- 晶体浸泡和联合结晶技术用于研究含有寡核酸和核酸三酸盐 (NTP) 的复合物.
主要成果:
- phi6聚合酶子单元的X射线结构与C型肝炎病毒聚合酶具有很高的相似性,这表明存在进化联系.
- 具有NTP的复合体结构表明了双链RNA处理和模板进入活性部位的机制.
- 提出了一个启动模型,涉及模板链超越,特异性口袋和两个NTP的参与.
结论:
- 该研究提供了双链RNA病毒聚合酶的高分辨率结构,揭示了进化联系.
- 基于结构数据,提出了启动病毒RNA复制和转录的详细机制.
- 这项工作为理解基本的病毒RNA合成过程提供了一个工作模型.
相关概念视频
Bacterial RNA Polymerase
Unlike eukaryotes, bacteria use a single RNA Polymerase (RNAP) to transcribe all genes. The different subunits of bacterial RNAPhave distinct functions. The multisubunit structure of the bacterial RNAP helps the enzyme to maintain catalytic function, facilitate assembly, interact with DNA and RNA, and self-regulate its activity.
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...
tRNA Activation
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are present in both eukaryotes and bacteria. Though eukaryotes have 20 different aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases to couple to 20 amino acids, many bacteria do not have genes for all of these aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Despite this, they still use all 20 amino acids to synthesize their proteins. For instance, some bacteria do not have the gene encoding the enzyme that couples glutamine with its partner tRNA. In these organisms, one enzyme adds glutamic acid to all of the...
Initiation of Translation
Initiating translation is complex because it involves multiple molecules. Initiator tRNA, ribosomal subunits, and eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs) are all required to assemble on the initiation codon of mRNA. This process consists of several steps that are mediated by different eIFs.
First, the initiator tRNA must be selected from the pool of elongator tRNAs by eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). The initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAi) has conserved sequence elements including modified bases at...
First, the initiator tRNA must be selected from the pool of elongator tRNAs by eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). The initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAi) has conserved sequence elements including modified bases at...
Bacterial RNA Polymerase
Unlike eukaryotes, bacteria use a single RNA Polymerase (RNAP) to transcribe all genes. The different subunits of bacterial RNAPhave distinct functions. The multisubunit structure of the bacterial RNAP helps the enzyme to maintain catalytic function, facilitate assembly, interact with DNA and RNA, and self-regulate its activity.
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...
tRNA Activation
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are present in both eukaryotes and bacteria. Though eukaryotes have 20 different aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases to couple to 20 amino acids, many bacteria do not have genes for all of these aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Despite this, they still use all 20 amino acids to synthesize their proteins. For instance, some bacteria do not have the gene encoding the enzyme that couples glutamine with its partner tRNA. In these organisms, one enzyme adds glutamic acid to all of the...
Initiation of Translation
Initiating translation is complex because it involves multiple molecules. Initiator tRNA, ribosomal subunits, and eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs) are all required to assemble on the initiation codon of mRNA. This process consists of several steps that are mediated by different eIFs.
First, the initiator tRNA must be selected from the pool of elongator tRNAs by eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). The initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAi) has conserved sequence elements including modified bases at...
First, the initiator tRNA must be selected from the pool of elongator tRNAs by eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). The initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAi) has conserved sequence elements including modified bases at...


