Targeted cleavage of mRNA by human RNase P

Yan Yuan, Eun Seong Hwang, Sidney Altman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

131 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ribonuclease P from Escherichia coli can cleave RNAs in simple, hydrogen-bonded complexes of two oligoribonucleotides that resemble the aminoacyl stem and 5′ leader sequence of tRNA precursors. RNase P from human (HeLa) cells cannot catalyze the cleavage in vitro of the 5′proximal oligoribonucleotide that contains the leader sequence in such simple complexes but can do so when the 3′-proximal oligoribonucleotide (external guide sequence) is altered to resemble three-quarters of a tRNA molecule. In such a complex, the efficiency of cleavage of the mRNA for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, as the 5′-proximal oligoribonucleotide, depends on the structural details of the external guide sequence and on the choice of target site within the mRNA. The presence of the appropriately designed external guide sequence in cells in tissue culture reduces chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity and the level of the corresponding intact mRNA in the cells. Thus, it appears that the use of such external guide sequences may provide a general technique for gene inactivation. (.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)8006-8010
Number of pages5
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume89
Issue number17
StatePublished - 1992
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • External guide sequence
  • Gene inactivation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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