An Hfq-like protein in archaea: crystal structure and functional characterization of the Sm protein from Methanococcus jannaschii.

ABSTRACT: The Sm and Sm-like proteins are conserved in all three domains of life and have emerged as important players in many different RNA-processing reactions. Their proposed role is to mediate RNA-RNA and/or RNA-protein interactions. In marked contrast to eukaryotes, bacteria appear to contain only one distinct Sm-like protein belonging to the Hfq family of proteins. Similarly, there are generally only one or two subtypes of Sm-related proteins in archaea, but at least one archaeon, Methanococcus jannaschii, encodes a protein that is related to Hfq. This archaeon does not contain any gene encoding a conventional archaeal Sm-type protein, suggesting that Hfq proteins and archaeal Sm-homologs can complement each other functionally. Here, we report the functional characterization of M. jannaschii H

SUBMITTER: Nielsen JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2080587 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature