Mitochondrial poly(A) polymerase is involved in tRNA repair.

ABSTRACT: Transcription of the mitochondrial genome results in polycistronic precursors, which are processed mainly by the release of tRNAs interspersed between rRNAs and mRNAs. In many metazoan mitochondrial genomes some tRNA genes overlap with downstream genes; in the case of human mitochondria the genes for tRNA(Tyr) and tRNA(Cys) overlap by one nucleotide. It has previously been shown that processing of the common precursor releases an incomplete tRNA(Tyr) lacking the 3'-adenosine. The 3'-terminal adenosine has to be added before addition of the CCA end and subsequent aminoacylation. We show that the mitochondrial poly(A) polymerase (mtPAP) is responsible for this A addition. In vitro, a tRNA(Tyr) lacking the discriminator is a substrate for mtPAP. In vivo, an altered mtPAP protein level affecte

SUBMITTER: Fiedler M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4787750 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature