Staphylococcus aureus ribonuclease-P-protein subunit (RnpA) is a promising antimicrobial target that is a key protein component for two essential cellular processes, RNA degradation and transfer-RNA (tRNA) maturation. The first crystal structure of RnpA from the pathogenic bacterial species, S. aureus, is reported at 2.0 Å resolution. The structure presented maintains key similarities with previously reported RnpA structures from bacteria and archaea, including the highly conserved RNR-box region and aromatic residues in the precursor-tRNA 5′-leader-binding domain. This structure will be instrumental in the pursuit of structure-based designed inhibitors targeting RnpA-mediated RNA processing as a novel therapeutic approach for treating S. aureus infections.
Evidence for a polynuclear metal ion binding site in the catalytic domain of ribonuclease P RNA
