The Era GTPase recognizes the GAUCACCUCC sequence and binds helix 45 near the 3' end of 16S rRNA.

ABSTRACT: Era, composed of a GTPase domain and a K homology domain, is essential for bacterial cell viability. It is required for the maturation of 16S rRNA and assembly of the 30S ribosomal subunit. We showed previously that the protein recognizes nine nucleotides ( ) near the 3' end of 16S rRNA, and that this recognition stimulates GTP-hydrolyzing activity of Era. In all three kingdoms of life, the sequence and helix 45 (h45) (nucleotides 1506-1529) are highly conserved. It has been shown that the to double mutation severely affects the viability of bacteria. However, whether Era interacts with G1530 and/or h45 and whether such interactions (if any) contribute to the stimulation of Era's GTPase activity were not known. Here, we report two RNA structures that contain nucleotides 1506-1542 (RNA301),

SUBMITTER: Tu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3121871 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature