Lecture Molecular biology (Fifth Edition): Chapter 15 - Robert F. Weaver

Chapter 15 - RNA Processing II: Capping and Polyadenylation. Besides splicing, eukaryotic cells perform several other kinds of processing on their RNAs. Messenger RNAs are subject to two kinds of processing, known as capping and polyadenylation. In capping, a special blocking nucleotide (a cap) is added to the 59-end of a pre-mRNA. In polyadenylation, a string of AMPs (poly[A]) is added to the 39-end of the pre-mRNA. These steps are essential for the proper function of mRNAs and will be topics in this chapter.
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Lecture Molecular biology (Fifth Edition): Chapter 15 - Robert F. WeaverLecture PowerPoint to accompanyMolecular Biology Fifth Edition Robert F. Weaver Chapter 15RNA Processing II: Capping and Polyadenylation Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. RNA Processing• Eukaryotic cells perform several other kinds of processing on RNAs beyond splicing• mRNAs are subject to capping at the 5’ end and polyadenylation at the 3’ end, which are essential molecular elements for the proper function of mRNA 15-2 15.1 Capping• By 1974, mRNA from a variety of eukaryotic species and viruses were found to be methylated• A significant amount of this methylation was clustered at the 5’-end of mRNA• This methylation cluster formed a structure we call a cap 15-3 Cap Structure• Early study used viral mRNA as they are easier to purify and investigate• The -phosphate of a nucleoside triphosphate remains only in the first nucleotide in an RNA – Cap is at the 5’-terminus of RNA – The cap is made of a modified guanine or 7- methylguanosine, m7G – Linkage is a triphosphate 15-4 Reovirus Cap Structure• The m7G contributes a positive charge• Triphosphate linkage contributes 3 negative charges• Phosphodiester bond contributes 1 negative charge• Terminal phosphate contributes 2 negative charges 15-5 Cap Synthesis• First step – RNA triphosphatase removes terminal phosphate from pre- mRNA – Then, guanylyl transferase adds capping GMP from GTP• Next, 2 methyl transferases methylate N7 of capping guanosine and 2’-O-methyl group of penultimate nucleotide• This occurs early in transcription, before chain is 30 nt long 15-6 Functions of CapsCaps serve at least four functions: – Protect mRNAs from degradation – Enhance translatability of mRNAs – Transport of mRNAs out of nucleus – Efficiency of splicing mRNAs 15-7 15.2 Polyadenylation• The process of adding poly(A) to RNA is called polyadenylation• A long chain of AMP residues is called a poly (A) tail• Heterogeneous nuclear mRNA is a precursor to mRNA 15-8 Poly(A)• Most eukaryotic mRNAs and their precursors have a chain of AMP residues about 250 nt long at their 3’-ends• Poly(A) is added posttranscriptionally by an enzyme called poly(A) polymerase• Therefore, the poly (A) is not a product of transcription as it is not encoded in the DNA 15-9 Functions of Poly(A)• Poly(A) enhances both the lifetime and translatability of mRNA• Relative importance of these two effects seems to vary from one system to another• In rabbit reticulocyte extracts, poly(A) seems to enhance translatability by helping to recruit mRNA to polysomes 15-10 Basic Mechanism of Polyadenylation• Transcription of eukaryotic genes extends beyond the polyadenylation site• The transcript is: – Cleaved – Polyadenylated at 3’-end created by cleavage 15-11 Polyadenylation Signals• An efficient mammalian polyadenylation signal consists of: – AAUAAA motif about 20 nt upstream of a polyadenylation site in a pre-mRNA – Followed 23 or 24 bp later by GU-rich motif – Followed immediately by a U-rich motif• Variations on this theme occur in nature – Results in variation in efficiency of polyadenylation – Plant polyadenylation signals usually contain AAUAAA motif – More variation exists in plant than in animal motif – Yeast polyadenylation signals are even more different 15-12 Cleavage of Pre-mRNA• Polyadenylation involves both: – Pre-mRNA cleavage – Polyadenylation at the cleavage site• Cleavage in mammals requires several proteins – CPSF – cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor – CstF – cleavage stimulation factor – CF I – CF II – Poly (A) polymerase – RNA polymerase II 15-13 Initiation of Polyadenylation• Short RNAs mimic a newly created mRNA 3’- end can be polyadenylated• Optimal signal for initiation of such polyadenylation of a cleaved substrate is AAUAAA followed by at least 8 nt• When poly(A) reaches about 10 nt in length, further polyadenylation becomes independent of AAUAAA signal and depends on the poly(A) itself• 2 proteins participate in the initiation p ...