Analysis of intermolecular base pair formation of prohead RNA of the phage phi29 DNA packaging motor using NMR spectroscopy.

ABSTRACT: The bacteriophage ø29 DNA packaging motor that assembles on the precursor capsid (prohead) contains an essential 174-nt structural RNA (pRNA) that forms multimers. To determine the structural features of the CE- and D-loops believed to be involved in multimerization of pRNA, 35- and 19-nt RNA molecules containing the CE-loop or the D-loop, respectively, were produced and shown to form a heterodimer in a Mg2+-dependent manner, similar to that with full-length pRNA. It has been hypothesized that four intermolecular base pairs are formed between pRNA molecules. Our NMR study of the heterodimer, for the first time, proved directly the existence of two intermolecular Watson-Crick G-C base pairs. The two potential intermolecular A-U base pairs were not observed. In addition, flexibility of the D

SUBMITTER: Kitamura A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2241910 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature