PROBING THE STRUCTURE OF BACTERIOPHAGE-PHI-29 PROHEAD RNA WITH SPECIFIC MUTATIONS

Bacteriophage phi 29 of Bacillus subtilis packages its double-stranded DNA genome into a preformed prohead in an ATP-dependent reaction. A 1 74-residue phi 29-encoded RNA molecule (pRNA) is a structural componen t of the prohead and is essential for DNA packaging. The secondary and tertiary structures of the prohead binding site on pRNA have been pro bed using a series of specific mutant pRNAs and by measuring binding t o RNA-free proheads and in vitro packaging of the DNA-gene product 3 ( DNA.gp3) complex. A pseudoknot in pRNA inferred from phylogenetic stud ies was confirmed with specific mutations, and this pseudoknot was nec essary for DNA.gp3 packaging activity. pRNA was truncated progressivel y from the 5' and 3' ends to isolate the prohead binding site, and thr ee truncated pRNAs of 79, 71, and 62 residues retained prohead binding activity but could not reconstitute proheads for DNA.gp3 pack aging. Mutation resulting in changes of the D hairpin loop and its connecting residues within the prohead binding site of pRNA and DNA packaging st udies demonstrated that some alteration of secondary structure in this helix was permissible. The analyses provided fur ther confirmation of a discrete prohead binding domain in pRNA and further delineated spec ific structural requirements for DNA.gp3 packaging activity which may not be required for prohead binding.