RNA-binding characteristics of the chloroplast S1-like ribosomal protein CS1 (original) (raw)

RNA-binding activities of the different domains of a spinach chloroplast ribonucleoprotein

Nucleic Acids Research, 1994

An RNA-binding protein of 28 kD (28RNP) has been previously isolated from spinach chloroplasts and was found to be required for 3' end processing of chloroplast mRNAs. The amino acid sequence of 28RNP revealed two ~ 80 amino-acid RNA-binding domains, as well as an acidic and glycine-rich amino terminal domain. Each domain by itself, as well as in combination with other domains, was expressed in bacterial cells and the polypeptides were purified to homogeneity. We have investigated the RNA-binding properties of the different structural domains using UV-crosslinking, saturation binding and competition between the different domains on RNA-binding. It was found that the acidic domain does not bind RNA, but that each of the RNA-binding domains, expressed either individually or together, do bind RNA, although with differing affinities. When either the first or second RNA-binding domain was coupled to the acidic domain, the affinity for RNA was greatly reduced. However, the acidic domain has a positive effect on the binding of the fulllength protein to RNA, because the mature protein binds RNA with a better affinity than the truncated protein which lacks the acidic domain. In addition, it was found that a stretch of two or three G residues is enough to mediate binding of the 28RNP, whereas four U residues were insufficient. The implications of the RNA-binding properties of 28RNP to its possible function in the processing of chloroplast RNA is discussed.

A Role for Initiation Codon Context in Chloroplast Translation

THE PLANT CELL ONLINE, 2001

To study the role of initiation codon context in chloroplast protein synthesis, we mutated the three nucleotides immediately upstream of the initiation codon (the ؊ 1 triplet) of two chloroplast genes in the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In prokaryotes, the ؊ 1 triplet has been proposed to base pair with either the 530 loop of 16S rRNA or the extended anticodon of fMet-tRNA. We found that in vivo, none of the chloroplast mutations affected mRNA stability. However, certain mutations did cause a temperature-sensitive decrease in translation and a more dramatic decrease at room temperature when combined with an AUU initiation codon. These mutations disrupt the proposed extended base pairing interaction with the fMet-tRNA anticodon loop, suggesting that this interaction may be important in vivo. Mutations that would still permit base pairing with the 530 loop of the 16S rRNA also had a negative effect on translation, suggesting that this interaction does not occur in vivo. Extended base pairing surrounding the initiation codon may be part of a mechanism to compensate for the lack of a classic Shine-Dalgarno rRNA interaction in the translation of some chloroplast mRNAs.

RNA-Binding Characteristics of a Ribonucleoprotein from Spinach Chloroplast

Plant physiology, 1995

A chloroplast (nuclear-encoded) RNA-binding protein (28RNP) was previously purified from spinach (Spinacia oleracea). This 28RNP was found to be the major RNA-binding protein co-purified during the isolation scheme of 3[prime] end RNA-processing activity of several chloroplastic genes. To learn more about the possible involvement of 28RNP in the 3[prime] end RNA-processing event, we investigated the RNA-binding properties and the location of the protein in the chloroplast. We found that recombinant Escherichia coliexpressed 28RNP binds with apparently the same affinity to every chloroplastic 3[prime] end RNA that was analyzed, as well as to RNAs derived from the 5[prime] end or the coding region of some chloroplastic genes. Differences in the RNA-binding affinities for some chloroplastic 3[prime] end RNAs were observed when the recombinant 28RNP was compared with the "native" 28RNP in the chloroplast-soluble protein extract. In addition, we found that the 28RNP is not asso...

Identification and Characterization of a Novel RNA Binding Protein That Associates with the 5‘-Untranslated Region of the Chloroplast psbA mRNA

Biochemistry, 2004

Binding of proteins to chloroplast-encoded mRNAs has been shown to be an essential part of chloroplast gene expression. Four nuclear-encoded proteins (38, 47, 55, and 60 kDa) have been identified that bind to the 5′-untranslated region of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii psbA mRNA with high affinity and specificity. We have cloned a cDNA that represents the 38 kDa protein (RB38) and show that it encodes a novel RNA binding protein that is primarily localized within the chloroplast stroma. RB38 contains four 70 amino acid repeats with a high percentage of basic amino acids, as well as an aminoterminal extension predicted to act as a chloroplast import sequence. We demonstrate that the 38 kDa precursor protein is imported into isolated chloroplasts and interacts with high specificity to uridine-rich regions within the 5′-untranslated region of the psbA mRNA. While database searches have identified hypothetical proteins from several other eukaryotic species with high sequence similarity to the deduced amino acid sequence of RB38, no proteins with homology to RB38 have been biochemically characterized. Bioinformatic analysis of the RB38 sequence, together with structure analysis using circular dichroism and protein modeling, suggests that the 70 amino acid repeats within RB38 are similar in fold to previously identified RNA binding motifs, despite limited sequence homology.

Phosphorylation of a chloroplast RNA-binding protein changes its affinity to RNA

Nucleic Acids Research, 1995

An RNA-binding protein of 28 kDa (28RNP) was previously isolated from spinach chloroplasts and found to be required for 3' end-processing of chloroplast mRNAs. The amino acid sequence of 28RNP revealed two-80 amino-acid RNA-binding domains, as well as an acidicand glycine-rich amino terminal domain. Upon analysis of the RNA-binding properties of the 'native' 28RNP in comparison to the recombinant bacterial expressed protein, differences were detected in the affinity to some chloroplastic 3' end RNAs. ft was suggested that post-translational modification can modulate the affinity of the 28RNP in the chloroplast to different RNAs. In order to deternine if phosphorylation accounts for this post-translational modification, we examined if the 28RNP is a phosphoprotein and if it can serve as a substrate for protein kinases. ft was found that the 28RNP was phosphorylated when intact chloroplasts were metabolically labeled with (32p] orthophosphate, and that recombinant 28RNP served as an excellent substrate In vitro for protein kinase isolated from spinach chloroplasts or recombinant a subunit of maize casein kinase I. The 28RNP was apparently phosphorylated at one site located in the acidic domain at the N-terminus of the protein. Site-directed mutagenesis of the serines in that region revealed that the phosphorylatlon of the protein was eliminated when serine number 22 from the N-terminus was changed to tryptophan. RNA-binding analysis of the phosphorylated 28RNP revealed that the affinity of the phosphorylated protein was reduced-3-4-fold in comparison to the non-phosphorylated protein. Therefore, phosphorylation of the 28RNP modulates its affinity to RNA and may play a significant role in its biological function in the chlorplast.

Unique localization of the plastid-specific ribosomal proteins in the chloroplast ribosome small subunit provides mechanistic insights into the chloroplastic translation

Nucleic acids research, 2017

Chloroplastic translation is mediated by a bacterial-type 70S chloroplast ribosome. During the evolution, chloroplast ribosomes have acquired five plastid-specific ribosomal proteins or PSRPs (cS22, cS23, bTHXc, cL37 and cL38) which have been suggested to play important regulatory roles in translation. However, their exact locations on the chloroplast ribosome remain elusive due to lack of a high-resolution structure, hindering our progress to understand their possible roles. Here we present a cryo-EM structure of the 70S chloroplast ribosome from spinach resolved to 3.4 Å and focus our discussion mainly on the architecture of the 30S small subunit (SSU) which is resolved to 3.7 Å. cS22 localizes at the SSU foot where it seems to compensate for the deletions in 16S rRNA. The mRNA exit site is highly remodeled due to the presence of cS23 suggesting an alternative mode of translation initiation. bTHXc is positioned at the SSU head and appears to stabilize the intersubunit bridge B1b d...

Nature of the ribosomal mRNA track: Analysis of ribosome-binding sites containing different sequences and secondary structures

Biochemistry, 1993

The ribosomal mRNA track was investigated by toeprinting 30s ribosomes, in the presence or absence of tRNA, using a variety of different ribosome-binding sites. We found that: (1) the ribosome, by itself, recognizes the mRNA translational initiation site; (2) the ribosomal mRNA track makes extensive contact with mRNA independent of tRNA and the start codon; (3) ribosomemRNA complexes are less stable than complexes containing tRNA; and (4) toeprinting can be used to analyze the contour of the ribosomal mRNA track, yielding information on its "height" as well as its "length" dimension. Examination of several ribosome-binding sites, including those containing very stable secondary structure, indicated that the "height" of the mRNA track is quite roomy, while the nucleotide distance between the site of Shine-Dalgarno annealing, the P site, and the 3'-edge of the mRNA track is fixed. The data suggest a mechanism for tethering regulatory elements to the ribosome during translation. Translational initiation is a multistep process which involves at least two RNA: RNA interactions: annealing of the 3'terminal nucleotides of the 16s rRNA to the Shine-Dalgarno (SD)' sequence and pairing of the initiator tRNA anticodon to the mRNA start codon (Calogero et al., 1988; Gualerzi et al., 1987). Initiation requires as well a variety of essential protein factors and mRNA regulatory elements that function during initiator tRNA selection and decoding of the start codon and contribute to the regulation of the level of translational expression [for recent reviews, see Rudd and Schneider (1992), Gualerzi and Pon (1990), McCarthy and Gualerzi (1 990), and Gold (1 988)]. Typically, the regulatory mRNA elements are contained within the ribosome-binding site (RBS), often comprising an unstructured region (Dreyfus, 1988) of about 35 nucleotides containing a purine-rich sequence 5-1 1 nucleotides upstream of the start codon (Storm0 et al., 1982). The regulatory effect of naturally occurring start codons, SD sequences, the spacing between them, and second codons on translational yield has been studied (Ringquist et al., 1992), as has the effect of stable secondary structure at the RBS (de Smit & Van Duin, 1990; Ringquist et al., 1992). Toeprinting, the inhibition of cDNA synthesis by the complex formed between mRNA, tRNA, and a ribosome, has provided an important technique for investigating the process of translational initiation (Hartz et al., 1989). A typical toeprint signal occurs 15 nucleotides 3' of the first nucleotide of the codon in the ribosomal P site and probably corresponds to the 3'-edge of the mRNA track (Hartz et al., 1988,1989; Kang & Cantor, 1985). Selection of the RBS by 30s particles (Hartz et al., 1989), decoding of initiator tRNA and the start codon by the interaction between protein initiation 7 This work was funded by a research grant from theNationa1 Institutes

Chloroplast translation regulation

Photosynthesis Research, 2007

Chloroplast gene expression is primarily controlled during the translation of plastid mRNAs. Translation is regulated in response to a variety of biotic and abiotic factors, and requires a coordinate expression with the nuclear genome. The translational apparatus of chloroplasts is related to that of bacteria, but has adopted novel mechanisms in order to execute the specific roles that this organelle performs within a eukaryotic cell. Accordingly, plastid ribosomes contain a number of chloroplast-unique proteins and domains that may function in translational regulation. Chloroplast translation regulation involves cis-acting RNA elements (located in the mRNA 5′ UTR) as well as a set of corresponding trans-acting protein factors. While regulation of chloroplast translation is primarily controlled at the initiation steps through these RNA-protein interactions, elongation steps are also targets for modulating chloroplast gene expression. Translation of chloroplast mRNAs is regulated in response to light, and the molecular mechanisms underlying this response involve changes in the redox state of key elements related to the photosynthetic electron chain, fluctuations of the ADP/ATP ratio and the generation of a proton gradient. Photosynthetic complexes also experience assembly-related autoinhibition of translation to coordinate the expression of different subunits of the same complex. Finally, the localization of all these molecular events among the different chloroplast subcompartments appear to be a crucial component of the regulatory mechanisms of chloroplast gene expression.

Proteomic Characterization of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Chloroplast Ribosome: IDENTIFICATION OF PROTEINS UNIQUE TO THE 70 S RIBOSOME

Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2003

We have conducted a proteomic analysis of the 70 S ribosome from the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast. Twenty-seven orthologs of Escherichia coli large subunit proteins were identified in the 50 S subunit, as well as an ortholog of the spinach plastid-specific ribosomal protein-6. Several of the large subunit proteins of C. reinhardtii have short extension or insertion sequences, but overall the large subunit proteins are very similar to those of spinach chloroplast and E. coli. Two proteins of 38 and 41 kDa, designated RAP38 and RAP41, were identified from the 70 S ribosome that were not found in either of the ribosomal subunits. Phylogenetic analysis identified RAP38 and RAP41 as paralogs of spinach CSP41, a chloroplast RNA-binding protein with endoribonuclease activity. Overall, the chloroplast ribosome of C. reinhardtii is similar to those of spinach chloroplast and E. coli, but the C. reinhardtii ribosome has proteins associated with the 70 S complex that are related to non-ribosomal proteins in other species. In addition, the 30 S subunit contains unusually large orthologs of E. coli S2, S3, and S5 and a novel S1-type protein Yamaguchi, K. et al., (2002) Plant Cell 14, 2957-2974). These additional proteins and domains likely confer functions used to regulate chloroplast translation in C. reinhardtii. □ S The on-line version of this article (available at http://www.jbc.org) contains a supplementary figure.

The 5' leader of a chloroplast mRNA mediates the translational requirements for two nucleus-encoded functions in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Molecular and Cellular Biology, 1994

In the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the nuclear mutations F34 and F64 have been previously shown to abolish the synthesis of the photosystem II core polypeptide subunit P6, which is encoded by the chloroplast psbC gene. In this report the functions encoded by F34 and F64 are shown to be required for translation of the psbC mRNA, on the basis of the finding that the expression of a heterologous reporter gene fused to the psbC 5' nontranslated leader sequence requires wild-type F34 and F64 alleles in vivo. Moreover, a point mutation in the psbC 5' nontranslated leader sequence suppresses this requirement for wild-type F34 function. In vitro RNA-protein cross-linking studies reveal that chloroplast protein extracts from strains carrying the F64 mutation contain an approximately 46-kDa RNA-binding protein. The absence of the RNA-binding activity of this protein in chloroplast extracts of wild-type strains suggests that it is related to the role of the F64-encoded functi...