A combinatorial amino acid code for RNA recognition by pentatricopeptide repeat proteins.

The pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) is a helical repeat motif found in an exceptionally large family of RNA-binding proteins that functions in mitochondrial and chloroplast gene expression. PPR proteins harbor between 2 and 30 repeats and typically bind single-stranded RNA in a sequence-specific fash...

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Main Authors: Alice Barkan, Margarita Rojas, Sota Fujii, Aaron Yap, Yee Seng Chong, Charles S Bond, Ian Small
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS Genetics
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002910&type=printable
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author Alice Barkan
Margarita Rojas
Sota Fujii
Aaron Yap
Yee Seng Chong
Charles S Bond
Ian Small
author_facet Alice Barkan
Margarita Rojas
Sota Fujii
Aaron Yap
Yee Seng Chong
Charles S Bond
Ian Small
author_sort Alice Barkan
collection DOAJ
description The pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) is a helical repeat motif found in an exceptionally large family of RNA-binding proteins that functions in mitochondrial and chloroplast gene expression. PPR proteins harbor between 2 and 30 repeats and typically bind single-stranded RNA in a sequence-specific fashion. However, the basis for sequence-specific RNA recognition by PPR tracts has been unknown. We used computational methods to infer a code for nucleotide recognition involving two amino acids in each repeat, and we validated this model by recoding a PPR protein to bind novel RNA sequences in vitro. Our results show that PPR tracts bind RNA via a modular recognition mechanism that differs from previously described RNA-protein recognition modes and that underpins a natural library of specific protein/RNA partners of unprecedented size and diversity. These findings provide a significant step toward the prediction of native binding sites of the enormous number of PPR proteins found in nature. Furthermore, the extraordinary evolutionary plasticity of the PPR family suggests that the PPR scaffold will be particularly amenable to redesign for new sequence specificities and functions.
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institution OA Journals
issn 1553-7390
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publishDate 2012-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Genetics
spelling doaj-art-a920e5b45c924b819b78e26f453057082025-08-20T02:15:19ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Genetics1553-73901553-74042012-01-0188e100291010.1371/journal.pgen.1002910A combinatorial amino acid code for RNA recognition by pentatricopeptide repeat proteins.Alice BarkanMargarita RojasSota FujiiAaron YapYee Seng ChongCharles S BondIan SmallThe pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) is a helical repeat motif found in an exceptionally large family of RNA-binding proteins that functions in mitochondrial and chloroplast gene expression. PPR proteins harbor between 2 and 30 repeats and typically bind single-stranded RNA in a sequence-specific fashion. However, the basis for sequence-specific RNA recognition by PPR tracts has been unknown. We used computational methods to infer a code for nucleotide recognition involving two amino acids in each repeat, and we validated this model by recoding a PPR protein to bind novel RNA sequences in vitro. Our results show that PPR tracts bind RNA via a modular recognition mechanism that differs from previously described RNA-protein recognition modes and that underpins a natural library of specific protein/RNA partners of unprecedented size and diversity. These findings provide a significant step toward the prediction of native binding sites of the enormous number of PPR proteins found in nature. Furthermore, the extraordinary evolutionary plasticity of the PPR family suggests that the PPR scaffold will be particularly amenable to redesign for new sequence specificities and functions.https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002910&type=printable
spellingShingle Alice Barkan
Margarita Rojas
Sota Fujii
Aaron Yap
Yee Seng Chong
Charles S Bond
Ian Small
A combinatorial amino acid code for RNA recognition by pentatricopeptide repeat proteins.
PLoS Genetics
title A combinatorial amino acid code for RNA recognition by pentatricopeptide repeat proteins.
title_full A combinatorial amino acid code for RNA recognition by pentatricopeptide repeat proteins.
title_fullStr A combinatorial amino acid code for RNA recognition by pentatricopeptide repeat proteins.
title_full_unstemmed A combinatorial amino acid code for RNA recognition by pentatricopeptide repeat proteins.
title_short A combinatorial amino acid code for RNA recognition by pentatricopeptide repeat proteins.
title_sort combinatorial amino acid code for rna recognition by pentatricopeptide repeat proteins
url https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002910&type=printable
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