Y RNA

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Y RNA
Template:Abbreviation
Type: Gene;
2° structure: Published; PubMed
Seed alignment: Griffiths-Jones SR
Avg length: 101.7 nucleotides
Avg identity: 67%

Y RNAs are small non-coding RNA components of the Ro ribonucleoprotein particle (Ro RNP). The Ro RNP was first identified by Lerner et al. as a target of autoimmune antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.[1]

Contents

[edit] Function

Two functions have been described for Y RNAs in the literature: In one line of evidence, Y RNA appears to function as a repressor of Ro. In its free state, Ro binds to a variety of misfolded RNAs including misfolded 5S rRNAs, and is thought to act as some sort of quality control mechanism.[2] Crystal structures of Ro complexed either with Y RNA or another RNA showed that Ro binds single-stranded 3' ends of RNAs relatively nonspecifically, whereas Y RNA binds specifically at a second site that regulates access of other RNAs.[3] In Deinococcus, free Ro has also been shown to function in 23S rRNA maturation.[4] In Deinococcus, mutants lacking Y RNA are viable, and Y RNA appears to be unstable except when complexed with Ro.[4] Secondly, it has been described recently that human Y RNAs are functionally required for DNA replication.[5] Biochemical fractionation and reconstitution experiments have established a functional requirement of human Y RNAs for chromosomal DNA replication in isolated vertebrate cell nuclei in vitro.[5] Specific degradation of human Y RNAs in vitro, or in intact cells in vivo, have led to an inhibition of chromosomal DNA replication.[5] Interestingly, mutant human Y RNAs lacking the conserved binding site for Ro60 protein still support DNA replication,[5] indicating that binding to Ro protein and promoting DNA replication are two separable functions of Y RNAs.

[edit] Structure

These small RNAs are predicted to fold into a conserved secondary structure.[6]

[edit] Species distribution

Presumptive Y RNA and Ro protein homologs have been found in eukaryotes and bacteria.[6][7] Humans appear to have four Y RNAs, named hY1, hY3, hY4 and hY5[7] and also a large number of pseudogenes. C. elegans has one, named CeY RNA.[8] The radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans encodes a homolog of Ro called rsr ("Ro sixty related"), and at least four small RNAs accumulate in Deinococcus under conditions where rsr expression is induced (UV irradiation); one of these RNAs appears to be a Y RNA homolog.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lerner, MR; Boyle JA, Hardin JA, Steitz JA (1981). "Two novel classes of small ribonucleoproteins detected by antibodies associated with lupus erythematosus.". Science 211: 400–402. doi:10.1126/science.6164096. PMID 6164096. 
  2. ^ Reinisch, KM; Wolin SL (2007). "Emerging themes in non-coding RNA quality control". Curr Opin Struct Biol. 17: 209–214. doi:10.1016/j.sbi.2007.03.012. PMID 17395456. 
  3. ^ Stein, AJ; Fuchs G, Fu C, Wolin SL, Reinisch KM (2005). "Structural insights into RNA quality control: The Ro autoantigen binds misfolded RNAs via its central cavity". Cell 121: 529–537. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2005.03.009. PMID 15907467. 
  4. ^ a b Chen X, Wurtmann EJ, Van Batavia J, Zybailov B, Washburn MP, Wolin SL (2007). "An ortholog of the Ro autoantigen functions in 23S rRNA maturation in D. radiodurans". Genes Dev. 21 (11): 1328–39. doi:10.1101/gad.1548207. PMID 17510283. 
  5. ^ a b c d Christov CP, Gardiner TJ, Szüts D, Krude T (2006). "Functional requirement of noncoding Y RNAs for human chromosomal DNA replication". Mol. Cell. Biol. 26 (18): 6993–7004. doi:10.1128/MCB.01060-06. PMID 16943439. 
  6. ^ a b Teunissen SW, Kruithof MJ, Farris AD, Harley JB, Venrooij WJ, Pruijn GJ (2000). "Conserved features of Y RNAs: a comparison of experimentally derived secondary structures". Nucleic Acids Res. 28 (2): 610–9. PMID 10606662. 
  7. ^ a b Perreault J, Perreault JP, Boire G (2007). "Ro-associated Y RNAs in metazoans: evolution and diversification". Mol. Biol. Evol. 24 (8): 1678–89. doi:10.1093/molbev/msm084. PMID 17470436. 
  8. ^ Van Horn, DJ; Eisenberg D, O'Brien CA, Wolin SL (1995). "Caenorhabditis elegans embryos contain only one major species of Ro RNP". RNA 1: 293–303. PMID 7489501. 
  9. ^ Chen, X; Quinn AM, Wolin SL (2000). "Ro ribonucleoproteins contribute to the resistance of Deinococcus radiodurans to ultraviolet irradiation". Genes Dev 14: 777–782. PMID 10766734. 

[edit] External links

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