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RNA–protein interactions in the human RNase MRP ribonucleoprotein complex

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 1999

HELMA PLUK
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands Present address: EMBL, Meyerhofstrasse 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
HANS VAN EENENNAAM
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
SASKIA A. RUTJES
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
GER J.M. PRUIJN
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
WALTHER J. VAN VENROOIJ
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Abstract

The eukaryotic nucleolus contains a large number of small RNA molecules that, in the form of small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein complexes (snoRNPs), are involved in the processing and modification of pre-rRNA. One of the snoRNPs that has been shown to possess enzymatic activity is the RNase MRP. RNase MRP is an endoribonuclease involved in the formation of the 5′ end of 5.8S rRNA. In this study the association of the hPop1 protein with the RNase MRP complex was investigated. The hPop1 protein seems not to be directly bound to the RNA component, but requires nt 1–86 and 116–176 of the MRP RNA to associate with the RNase MRP complex via protein–protein interactions. UV crosslinking followed by ribonuclease treatment and immunoprecipitation with anti-Th/To antibodies revealed three human proteins of about 20, 25, and 40 kDa that can associate with the RNase MRP complex. The 20- and 25-kDa proteins appear to bind to stem-loop I of the MRP RNA whereas the 40-kDa protein requires the central part of the MRP RNA (nt 86–176) for association with the RNase MRP complex. In addition, we show that the human RNase P proteins Rpp30 and Rpp38 are also associated with the RNase MRP complex. Expression of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus- (VSV) tagged versions of these proteins in HeLa cells followed by anti-VSV immunoprecipitation resulted in coprecipitation of both RNase P and RNase MRP complexes. Furthermore, UV crosslinking followed by anti-Th/To and anti-Rpp38 immunoprecipitation revealed that the 40-kDa protein we detected in UV crosslinking is probably identical to Rpp38.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1999 RNA Society

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