Poster abstracts
Poster number 38 submitted by Keshav Gc
RsmC shows RNA chaperone activity during ribosome biogenesis
Keshav GC (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University), Davidnhan To (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University), Sanjaya Abeysirigunawardena (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University)
Abstract:
Synthesizing new ribosomes is a critical process in all forms of life. Ribosome biogenesis is a complex process, where the transcription and the folding of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), assembly of ribosomal proteins, introduction of post-transcriptional nucleotide modifications, and rRNA processing occur simultaneously. Protein RsmC is a methyltransferase enzyme that is responsible for the m2G modification located at helix 34 of 16S rRNA. Protein RsmC contains two homologous domains that show tandem duplication. The goal of our research is to understand the importance of protein RsmC in ribosome biogenesis. Biochemical and biophysical experiments carried out in our laboratory suggest that RsmC enzyme also functions as an RNA chaperone that facilitates annealing of 5’- and 3’- RNA strands of 16S helix 34, in addition to its methyltransferase activity. Similarly, our data suggest that protein RsmC can prevent premature binding of tertiary assembly proteins, such as protein S3.
Keywords: Ribosome biogenesis , Modified nucleotides , Methyltransferase