Elizabeth S. Haas

New insight into RNase P RNA structure from comparative analysis of the archaeal RNA.

A detailed comparative analysis of archaeal RNase P RNA structure and a comparison of the resulting structural information with that of the bacterial RNA reveals that the archaeal RNase P RNAs are strikingly similar to those of Bacteria. The differences between the secondary structure models of archaeal and bacterial RNase P RNA have largely disappeared, and even variation in the sequence and structure of the RNAs are similar in extent and type. The structure of the cruciform (P7-11) has been reevaluated on the basis of a total of 321 bacterial and archaeal sequences, leading to a model for the structure of this region of the RNA that includes an extension to P11 that consistently organizes the cruciform and adjacent highly-conserved sequences.

Ribonuclease P structure and function inArchaea

An important approach to understanding RNA-based catalytic function by ribonuclease P is the investigation of its evolutionary diversity in structure and function. Because RNase P enzymes from all organisms are thought to share common ancestry, the fundamental features of structure and biochemistry should be conserved in all of its modern forms. In contrast to the bacterial enzyme, the RNase P enzymes fromEucarya, organelles, andArchaea are poorly understood. This review describes our nascent understanding of the structure and function of RNase P inArchaea, and how this enzyme compares to its homologs in the other evolutionary Domains.