scholarly journals Modification of Trypanosoma brucei mitochondrial rRNA by posttranscriptional 3' polyuridine tail formation.

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5878-5884 ◽  
Author(s):  
B K Adler ◽  
M E Harris ◽  
K I Bertrand ◽  
S L Hajduk

Trypanosoma brucei mitochondrial transcripts can be posttranscriptionally processed by uridine addition or deletion. With editing of mRNAs, uridine addition and deletion create precisely altered reading frames. The addition of nonencoded uridines to mitochondrial guide RNAs results in a less precise modification. Although uridines are specifically added to the 3' termini, their number varies, which results in heterogeneous oligo(U) tails on guide RNAs. In this paper, we show that the mitochondrial 9S and 12S rRNAs are also modified by uridine addition. These modifications appear to have aspects in common with both RNA editing and oligo(U) tail formation. Metabolic labeling studies with intact mitochondria and [alpha-32P]UTP, in the absence of transcription, demonstrated the posttranscriptional timing of the event. T1 RNase comparison analyses of cytidine 3',5'-[5'-32P]biphosphate 3'-end-labeled and [alpha-32P]UTP metabolically labeled rRNAs, along with direct RNA sequencing of the 3' termini, identified the site of uridine addition and revealed the creation of an oligo(U) tail for both rRNAs. 12S and 9S rRNAs hybrid selected from total cell RNA exhibited the same modification, demonstrating the presence of this processing in vivo. Moreover, only 3'-poly(U)-tailed 9S and 12S rRNAs were detected in total cellular and mitochondrial RNAs, which suggests that they are the most abundant and probable mature forms. The 12S and 9S rRNA oligo(U) tails differed significantly from each other, with the 12S having a heterogeneous tail of 2 to 17 uridines and the 9S having a tail of precisely 11 uridines. The mechanism of formation and the function of the rRNA poly(U) tails remain to be determined.

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5878-5884
Author(s):  
B K Adler ◽  
M E Harris ◽  
K I Bertrand ◽  
S L Hajduk

Trypanosoma brucei mitochondrial transcripts can be posttranscriptionally processed by uridine addition or deletion. With editing of mRNAs, uridine addition and deletion create precisely altered reading frames. The addition of nonencoded uridines to mitochondrial guide RNAs results in a less precise modification. Although uridines are specifically added to the 3' termini, their number varies, which results in heterogeneous oligo(U) tails on guide RNAs. In this paper, we show that the mitochondrial 9S and 12S rRNAs are also modified by uridine addition. These modifications appear to have aspects in common with both RNA editing and oligo(U) tail formation. Metabolic labeling studies with intact mitochondria and [alpha-32P]UTP, in the absence of transcription, demonstrated the posttranscriptional timing of the event. T1 RNase comparison analyses of cytidine 3',5'-[5'-32P]biphosphate 3'-end-labeled and [alpha-32P]UTP metabolically labeled rRNAs, along with direct RNA sequencing of the 3' termini, identified the site of uridine addition and revealed the creation of an oligo(U) tail for both rRNAs. 12S and 9S rRNAs hybrid selected from total cell RNA exhibited the same modification, demonstrating the presence of this processing in vivo. Moreover, only 3'-poly(U)-tailed 9S and 12S rRNAs were detected in total cellular and mitochondrial RNAs, which suggests that they are the most abundant and probable mature forms. The 12S and 9S rRNA oligo(U) tails differed significantly from each other, with the 12S having a heterogeneous tail of 2 to 17 uridines and the 9S having a tail of precisely 11 uridines. The mechanism of formation and the function of the rRNA poly(U) tails remain to be determined.


2011 ◽  
Vol 286 (12) ◽  
pp. 10329-10340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L. Zimmer ◽  
Sarah M. McEvoy ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Jun Qu ◽  
Laurie K. Read

RNA turnover and RNA editing are essential for regulation of mitochondrial gene expression in Trypanosoma brucei. RNA turnover is controlled in part by RNA 3′ adenylation and uridylation status, with trans-acting factors also impacting RNA homeostasis. However, little is known about the mitochondrial degradation machinery or its regulation in T. brucei. We have identified a mitochondrial exoribonuclease, TbRND, whose expression is highly up-regulated in the insect proliferative stage of the parasite. TbRND shares sequence similarity with RNase D family enzymes but differs from all reported members of this family in possessing a CCHC zinc finger domain. In vitro, TbRND exhibits 3′ to 5′ exoribonuclease activity, with specificity toward uridine homopolymers, including the 3′ oligo(U) tails of guide RNAs (gRNAs) that provide the sequence information for RNA editing. Several lines of evidence generated from RNAi-mediated knockdown and overexpression cell lines indicate that TbRND functions in gRNA metabolism in vivo. First, TbRND depletion results in gRNA tails extended by 2–3 nucleotides on average. Second, overexpression of wild type but not catalytically inactive TbRND results in a substantial decrease in the total gRNA population and a consequent inhibition of RNA editing. The observed effects on the gRNA population are specific as rRNAs, which are also 3′-uridylated, are unaffected by TbRND depletion or overexpression. Finally, we show that gRNA binding proteins co-purify with TbRND. In summary, TbRND is a novel 3′ to 5′ exoribonuclease that appears to have evolved a function highly specific to the mitochondrion of trypanosomes.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 2043-2049
Author(s):  
D J Koslowsky ◽  
G R Riley ◽  
J E Feagin ◽  
K Stuart

RNA editing of several mitochondrial transcripts in Trypanosoma brucei is developmentally regulated. The cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase II mRNAs are edited in procyclic-form parasites but are primarily unedited in bloodstream forms. The latter forms lack the mitochondrial respiratory system present in procyclic forms. Editing of the NADH dehydrogenase 7 (ND7) and ND8 transcripts is also developmentally regulated but occurs preferentially in bloodstream forms. Other transcripts, cytochrome oxidase III and ATPase 6, are edited in both life forms. We have identified many minicircle-encoded guide RNAs (gRNAs) for ATPase 6, ND7, and ND8. The characteristics of these gRNAs reveal how extensively edited RNA can be edited in the 3'-to-5' direction. Northern (RNA) blot and primer extension analyses indicate that gRNAs for transcripts whose editing is developmentally regulated are present in both procyclic and bloodstream form parasites. These results suggest that the developmental regulation of editing in these transcripts is not controlled by the presence or absence of gRNAs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 1479-1493
Author(s):  
Laura E Kirby ◽  
Donna Koslowsky

Abstract Trypanosoma brucei possesses a highly complex RNA editing system that uses guide RNAs to direct the insertion and deletion of uridines in mitochondrial mRNAs. These changes extensively alter the target mRNAs and can more than double them in length. Recently, analyses showed that several of the edited genes possess the capacity to encode two different protein products. The overlapped reading frames can be accessed through alternative RNA editing that shifts the translated reading frame. In this study, we analyzed the editing patterns of three putative dual-coding genes, ribosomal protein S12 (RPS12), the 5′ editing domain of NADH dehydrogenase subunit 7 (ND7 5′), and C-rich region 3 (CR3). We found evidence that alternatively 5′-edited ND7 5′ and CR3 transcripts are present in the transcriptome, providing evidence for the use of dual ORFs in these transcripts. Moreover, we found that CR3 has a complex set of editing pathways that vary substantially between cell lines. These findings suggest that alternative editing can work to introduce genetic variation in a system that selects against nucleotide mutations.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 2043-2049 ◽  
Author(s):  
D J Koslowsky ◽  
G R Riley ◽  
J E Feagin ◽  
K Stuart

RNA editing of several mitochondrial transcripts in Trypanosoma brucei is developmentally regulated. The cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase II mRNAs are edited in procyclic-form parasites but are primarily unedited in bloodstream forms. The latter forms lack the mitochondrial respiratory system present in procyclic forms. Editing of the NADH dehydrogenase 7 (ND7) and ND8 transcripts is also developmentally regulated but occurs preferentially in bloodstream forms. Other transcripts, cytochrome oxidase III and ATPase 6, are edited in both life forms. We have identified many minicircle-encoded guide RNAs (gRNAs) for ATPase 6, ND7, and ND8. The characteristics of these gRNAs reveal how extensively edited RNA can be edited in the 3'-to-5' direction. Northern (RNA) blot and primer extension analyses indicate that gRNAs for transcripts whose editing is developmentally regulated are present in both procyclic and bloodstream form parasites. These results suggest that the developmental regulation of editing in these transcripts is not controlled by the presence or absence of gRNAs.


1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 3041-3047
Author(s):  
D P Jasmer ◽  
J E Feagin ◽  
K Stuart

Transcription of a maxicircle segment from Trypanosoma brucei 164 that contains nucleotide (nt) sequences corresponding to cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and unassigned reading frames (URFs) 4 and 5 of other mitochondrial systems was investigated. Two major transcripts that differ in size by ca. 200 nt map to each of the COI and URF4 genes, while a single major transcript maps to URF5. In total RNA, the larger COI transcript is more abundant in procyclic forms (PFs) than in bloodstream forms (BFs), the smaller COI and both URF4 transcripts have similar abundances in both forms, and the single URF5 transcript is more abundant in BF than PF. These patterns of expression differ in poly(A)+ RNA as a result of a higher proportion of poly(A)+ mitochondrial transcripts in PFs than in BFs. In addition, small (300- to 500-nt) RNAs that are transcribed from C-rich sequences located between putative protein-coding genes also exhibit diverse patterns of expression between life cycle stages and differences in polyadenylation in PFs compared with BFs. These observations suggest that multiple processes regulate the differential expression of mitochondrial genes in T. brucei.


Author(s):  
Philipp Reautschnig ◽  
Nicolai Wahn ◽  
Jacqueline Wettengel ◽  
Annika E. Schulz ◽  
Ngadhnjim Latifi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 2933-2941 ◽  
Author(s):  
L N Rusché ◽  
K J Piller ◽  
B Sollner-Webb

RNA editing in kinetoplast mitochondrial transcripts involves the insertion and/or deletion of uridine residues and is directed by guide RNAs (gRNAs). It is thought to occur through a chimeric intermediate in which the 3' oligo(U) tail of the gRNA is covalently joined to the 3' portion of the mRNA at the site being edited. Chimeras have been proposed to be formed by a transesterification reaction but could also be formed by the known mitochondrial site-specific nuclease and RNA ligase. To distinguish between these models, we studied chimera formation in vitro directed by a trypanosome mitochondrial extract. This reaction was found to occur in two steps. First, the mRNA is cleaved in the 3' portion of the editing domain, and then the 3' fragment derived from this cleavage is ligated to the gRNA. The isolated mRNA 3' cleavage product is a more efficient substrate for chimera formation than is the intact mRNA, inconsistent with a transesterification mechanism but supporting a nuclease-ligase mechanism. Also, when normal mRNA cleavage is inhibited by the presence of a phosphorothioate, normal chimera formation no longer occurs. Rather, this phosphorothioate induces both cleavage and chimera formation at a novel site within the editing domain. Finally, levels of chimera-forming activity correlate with levels of mitochondrial RNA ligase activity when reactions are conducted under conditions which inhibit the ligase, including the lack of ATP containing a cleavable alpha-beta bond. These data show that chimera formation in the mitochondrial extract occurs by a nuclease-ligase mechanism rather than by transesterification.


2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 4652-4660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Cruz-Reyes ◽  
Alevtina G. Zhelonkina ◽  
Catherine E. Huang ◽  
Barbara Sollner-Webb

ABSTRACT Trypanosome RNA editing is a unique U insertion and U deletion process that involves cycles of pre-mRNA cleavage, terminal U addition or U removal, and religation. This editing can occur at massive levels and is directed by base pairing of trans-acting guide RNAs. Both U insertion and U deletion cycles are catalyzed by a single protein complex that contains only seven major proteins, band I through band VII. However, little is known about their catalytic functions, except that band IV and band V are RNA ligases and genetic analysis indicates that the former is important in U deletion. Here we establish biochemical approaches to distinguish the individual roles of these ligases, based on their distinctive ATP and pyrophosphate utilization. These in vitro analyses revealed that both ligases serve in RNA editing. Band V is the RNA editing ligase that functions very selectively to seal in U insertion (IREL), while band IV is the RNA editing ligase needed to seal in U deletion (DREL). In combination with our earlier findings about the cleavage and the U-addition/U-removal steps of U deletion and U insertion, these results show that all three steps of these editing pathways exhibit major differences and suggest that the editing complex could have physically separate regions for U deletion and U insertion.


1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 3041-3047 ◽  
Author(s):  
D P Jasmer ◽  
J E Feagin ◽  
K Stuart

Transcription of a maxicircle segment from Trypanosoma brucei 164 that contains nucleotide (nt) sequences corresponding to cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and unassigned reading frames (URFs) 4 and 5 of other mitochondrial systems was investigated. Two major transcripts that differ in size by ca. 200 nt map to each of the COI and URF4 genes, while a single major transcript maps to URF5. In total RNA, the larger COI transcript is more abundant in procyclic forms (PFs) than in bloodstream forms (BFs), the smaller COI and both URF4 transcripts have similar abundances in both forms, and the single URF5 transcript is more abundant in BF than PF. These patterns of expression differ in poly(A)+ RNA as a result of a higher proportion of poly(A)+ mitochondrial transcripts in PFs than in BFs. In addition, small (300- to 500-nt) RNAs that are transcribed from C-rich sequences located between putative protein-coding genes also exhibit diverse patterns of expression between life cycle stages and differences in polyadenylation in PFs compared with BFs. These observations suggest that multiple processes regulate the differential expression of mitochondrial genes in T. brucei.


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