Analysis of putative RNase P RNA from orthopoxviruses

J Mol Biol. 2005 Dec 2;354(3):529-35. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2005.09.020. Epub 2005 Sep 29.

Abstract

A putative RNase P RNA gene in camelpox virus, one of the orthopoxviruses, was cloned and transcribed in vitro. No RNase P activity could be detected in vitro from camelpox virus RNase P RNA alone, or by addition of the Escherichia coli RNase P protein subunit to reaction mixtures. Camelpox virus RNase P RNA reconstituted in vitro with camel or HeLa cell extracts, which were pre-treated with micrococcal nuclease to degrade the endogenous RNase P RNA, showed no RNase P activity. Vaccinia virus, another orthopoxvirus, showed no RNase P activity in vaccinia-infected HeLa cells, even though transcription of the vaccinia RNase P RNA could be identified in the cells by both Northern blot and RNase protection assay. Camelpox virus RNase P RNA inhibited an endogenous HeLa RNase P activity by 20% in our assays. The 5S RNA showed no significant inhibition in this assay.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Camelus
  • Escherichia coli / enzymology
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Orthopoxvirus / enzymology*
  • Orthopoxvirus / genetics*
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 5S / genetics
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 5S / metabolism
  • RNA, Viral / chemistry*
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • RNA, Viral / metabolism*
  • Ribonuclease P / genetics*
  • Vaccinia virus / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Ribosomal, 5S
  • RNA, Viral
  • Ribonuclease P