E. Luzi et al., THE NEWT RIBOZYME IS PART OF A RIBOPROTEIN COMPLEX, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United Statesof America, 94(18), 1997, pp. 9711-9716
Strand-specific transcripts of a satellite DNA of the newts, Notophtha
lmus and Triturus, are present in cells in monomeric and multimeric si
zes, These transcripts undergo self-catalyzed, site-specific cleavage
in vitro: the reaction requires Mg2+ and is mediated by a ''hammerhead
'' domain, Transcription of the newt ribozyme appears to be performed
by RNA polymerase II under the control of a proximal sequence element
and a distal sequence element, In vitro, the newt ribozyme can cleave
in trans an RNA substrate, suggesting that in vivo it might be involve
d in RNA processing events, perhaps as a riboprotein complex, Here we
show that the newt ribozyme is in fact present as a riboprotein partic
le of about 12 S in the oocytes of Triturus. In addition, reconstituti
on experiments and gel-shift analyses show that a complex is assembled
in vitro on the monomeric ribozyme molecules, UV cross-linking studie
s identify a few polypeptide species, ranging from 31 to 65 kDa, assoc
iated to the newt ribozyme with different affinities, Finally, we find
that an appropriate oligoribonucleotide substrate is specifically cle
aved by the riboproteic activity in S-100 ovary extracts.