An organellar maturase associates with multiple group II introns

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Feb 16;107(7):3245-50. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0909400107. Epub 2010 Jan 28.

Abstract

Bacterial group II introns encode maturase proteins required for splicing. In organelles of photosynthetic land plants, most of the group II introns have lost the reading frames for maturases. Here, we show that the plastidial maturase MatK not only interacts with its encoding intron within trnK-UUU, but also with six additional group II introns, all belonging to intron subclass IIA. Mapping analyses of RNA binding sites revealed MatK to recognize multiple regions within the trnK intron. Organellar group II introns are considered to be the ancestors of nuclear spliceosomal introns. That MatK associates with multiple intron ligands makes it an attractive model for an early trans-acting nuclear splicing activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Blotting, Western
  • Chloroplasts / genetics*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Endoribonucleases / genetics*
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Introns / genetics*
  • Introns / physiology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nicotiana / genetics*
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / genetics*
  • RNA Splicing / genetics*
  • RNA Splicing / physiology
  • RNA, Catalytic / genetics*
  • RNA, Catalytic / physiology
  • Spliceosomes / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Catalytic
  • Nucleotidyltransferases
  • mRNA maturase
  • Endoribonucleases

Associated data

  • GENBANK/FN396957
  • GENBANK/FN396958
  • GENBANK/FN396959
  • GENBANK/FN396960