Linear group II intron RNAs can retrohome in eukaryotes and may use nonhomologous end-joining for cDNA ligation.

ABSTRACT: Mobile group II introns retrohome by an RNP-based mechanism in which the excised intron lariat RNA fully reverse splices into a DNA site via 2 sequential transesterification reactions and is reverse transcribed by the associated intron-encoded protein. However, linear group II intron RNAs, which can arise by either hydrolytic splicing or debranching of lariat RNA, cannot carry out both reverse-splicing steps and were thus expected to be immobile. Here, we used facile microinjection assays in 2 eukaryotic systems, Xenopus laevis oocyte nuclei and Drosophila melanogaster embryos, to show that group II intron RNPs containing linear intron RNA can retrohome by carrying out the first step of reverse splicing into a DNA site, thereby ligating the 3' end of the intron RNA to the 5' end of the dow

SUBMITTER: Zhuang F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2775298 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature