Nucleic Acids Research, Vol 27, Issue 11 2339-2344, Copyright © 1999 by Oxford University Press
V Hollander and U Kuck
The mitochondrial group IIB intron rI1, from the green algae Scenedesmus
obliquus ' LSUrRNA gene, has been introduced into the lacZ gene encoding
beta-galacto-sidase. After DNA-mediated transformation of the recombinant
lacZ gene into Escherichia coli, we observed correct splicing of the
chimeric precursor RNA in vivo. In contrast to autocatalytic in vitro
self-splicing, intron processing in vivo is independent of the growth
temperature, suggesting that in E.coli, trans -acting factors are involved
in group II intron splicing. Such a system would seem suitable as a model
for analyzing intron processing in a prokaryotic host. In order to study
further the effect of cis - mutations on intron splicing, different rI1
mutants were analyzed (with respect to their splicing activity) in E.coli.
Although the phenotypes of these E. coli intron splicing mutants were
identical to those which can be observed during organellar splicing of rI1,
they are different to those observed in in vitro self-splicing experiments.
Therefore, in both organelles and prokaryotes, it is likely that either
similar splicing factors or trans -acting factors exhibiting similar
functions are involved in splicing. We speculate that ubiquitous trans
-acting factors, via recent horizontal transfer, have contributed to the
spread of group II introns.
ARTICLES
Group II intron splicing in Escherichia coli: phenotypes of cis-acting mutations resemble splicing defects observed in organelle RNA processing
Lehrstuhl fur Allgemeine Botanik, Fakultat fur Biologie, Ruhr- Universitat Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany.
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