C. Sun et Jl. Woolford, THE YEAST NOP4 GENE-PRODUCT IS AN ESSENTIAL NUCLEOLAR PROTEIN REQUIRED FOR PRE-RIBOSOMAL-RNA PROCESSING AND ACCUMULATION OF 60S RIBOSOMAL-SUBUNITS, EMBO journal, 13(13), 1994, pp. 3127-3135
Saccharomyces cerevisiae NOP4 gene was isolated by screening a lambda
gt11 yeast genomic DNA library with a monoclonal antibody against a ye
ast nucleolar protein. NOP4 encodes a 78 kDa protein that contains two
prototypical RNA recognition motifs (RRMs) flanking an imperfect RRM
lacking characteristic RNP1 and RNP2 motifs. In addition, there is a f
ourth incomplete RRM. NOP4 is a single copy essential gene present on
chromosome XVI, between RAD1 and PEP4. To examine the function of Nop4
p, we constructed a conditional null allele of NOP4 by placing this ge
ne under the control of the glucose-repressible GAL1 promoter. When ce
lls are shifted from galactose-containing medium to glucose-containing
medium, NOP4 transcription is terminated, Nop4 protein is depleted an
d cell growth is impaired. Nop4 protein depletion results in diminishe
d accumulation of 60S ribosomal subunits, assignable to a defect in ri
bosome biogenesis arising from a lack of production of mature 25S rRNA
from 27S precursor rRNA.