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Mapping the Ribosomal Protein S7 Regulatory Binding Site on mRNA of the E. coli Streptomycin Operon


A. V. Surdina1, T. I. Rassokhin1, A. V. Golovin2, V. A. Spiridonova1, and A. M. Kopylov1,3*

1Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; fax: (495) 939-3181; E-mail: kopylov.alex@gmail.com

2Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia

3Chemical Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received December 17, 2009; Revision received March 23, 2010
In this work it is shown by deletion analysis that an intercistronic region (ICR) approximately 80 nucleotides in length is necessary for interaction with recombinant E. coli S7 protein (r6hEcoS7). A model is proposed for the interaction of S7 with two ICR sites—region of hairpin bifurcations and Shine–Dalgarno sequence of cistron S7. A de novo RNA binding site for heterologous S7 protein of Thermus thermophilus (r6hTthS7) was constructed by selection of a combinatorial RNA library based on E. coli ICR: it has only a single supposed protein recognition site in the region of bifurcation. The SERW technique was used for selection of two intercistronic RNA libraries in which five nucleotides of a double-stranded region, adjacent to the bifurcation, had the randomized sequence. One library contained an authentic AG (–82/–20) pair, while in the other this pair was replaced by AU. A serwamer capable of specific binding to r6hTthS7 was selected; it appeared to be the RNA68 mutant with eight nucleotide mutations. The serwamer binds to r6hTthS7 with the same affinity as homologous authentic ICR of str mRNA binds to r6hEcoS7; apparent dissociation constants are 89 ± 43 and 50 ± 24 nM, respectively.
KEY WORDS: ribosomal biogenesis, S7 protein, streptomycin operon, bacteria, translation regulation, regulome, SELEX, SERW

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297910070059