Abstract
The bacteriophage phi29 DNA packaging motor is a protein/RNA complex that can produce strong force to condense the linear-double-stranded DNA genome into a pre-formed protein capsid. The RNA component, called the packaging RNA (pRNA), utilizes magnesium-dependent inter-molecular base-pairing interactions to form ring-shaped complexes. The pRNA is a class of non-coding RNA, interacting with phi29 motor proteins to enable DNA packaging. Here, we report a two-piece chimeric pRNA construct that is fully competent in interacting with partner pRNA to form ring-shaped complexes, in packaging DNA via the motor, and in assembling infectious phi29 virions in vitro. This is the first example of a fully functional pRNA assembled using two non-covalently interacting fragments. The results support the notion of modular pRNA architecture in the phi29 packaging motor.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 589-594 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications |
Volume | 372 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 8 2008 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Bacteriophage
- DNA packaging
- Non-coding RNA
- Packaging RNA
- Packaging motor
- RNA assembly
- phi29
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology