The Escherichia coli DEAD protein DbpA is an RNA-specific ATPase that is ac
tivated by a 153-nt fragment within domain V of 23S rRNA, A series of RNA s
ubfragments and sequence changes were used to identify the recognition elem
ents of this RNA-protein interaction. Reducing the size of the fully active
153-nt RNA yields compromised substrates in which both RNA and ATP binding
are weakened considerably without affecting the maximal rate of ATP hydrol
ysis. All RNAs that stimulate ATPase activity contain hairpin 92 of 23S rRN
A, which is known to interact with the 3' end of tRNAs in the ribosomal A-s
ite. RNAs with base mutations within this hairpin fail to activate ATP hydr
olysis, suggesting that it is a critical recognition element for DbpA. Alth
ough the isolated hairpin fails to activate DbpA, RNAs with an extension of
approximately 15 nt on either the 5' or 3' side of hairpin 92 elicit full
ATPase activity. These results suggest that the binding of DbpA to RNA requ
ires sequence-specific interactions with hairpin 92 as well as nonspecific
interactions with the RNA extension. A model relating the RNA binding and A
TPase activities of DbpA is presented.