Avatar pre-tRNAs help elucidate the properties of tRNA-splicing endonucleases that produce tRNA from permuted genes.

ABSTRACT: Unusual tRNA genes, found in some algae, have their mature terminal 3' portion in front of their 5' portion in the genome. The transcripts from such genes must be cleaved by a pre-tRNA endonuclease to form a functional tRNA. We present a mechanism for the generation of "corrected" tRNAs from such a "permuted" pre-tRNA configuration. We used two avatar (av) or model pre-tRNAs and two splicing endonucleases with distinct mechanisms of recognition of the pre-tRNA. The splicing results are compatible with an evolutionary route in which permuted genes result from a duplication event followed by DNA rearrangement. The model pre-tRNAs permit description of the features that a transcript, derived from a rearranged duplicated gene, must have to give rise to functional tRNA. The two tRNA endonucleas

SUBMITTER: Tocchini-Valentini GD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3535657 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature