The Pathway for DNA Recognition and RNA Integration by a Group II Intron Retrotransposon

Group II intron RNA-catalyzed recombination of RNA in vitro.

We report the first evidence for a novel reaction mediated by the self-splicing yeast mitochondrial group II intron bl1; the site-specific recombination of RNA molecules in vitro. Upon incubation of the intron lariat with two different RNAs, each harbouring a short sequence complementary to exon binding site 1 (EBS1) of the intron, novel recombined RNAs are formed. As a result of this intron-me...

DNA photodamage recognition by RNA polymerase II.

During gene transcription, RNA polymerase (Pol) II encounters obstacles, including lesions in the DNA template. Here, we review a recent structure-function analysis of Pol II transcribing DNA with a bulky photo-lesion in the template strand. The study provided the molecular basis for recognition of a damaged DNA by Pol II, which is the first step in transcription-coupled DNA repair (TCR). The r...

A group II intron RNA is a catalytic component of a DNA endonuclease involved in intron mobility

The mobility (homing) of the yeast mitochondrial DNA group II intron al2 occurs via target DNA-primed reverse transcription at a double-strand break in the recipient DNA. Here, we show that the site-specific DNA endonuclease that makes the double-strand break is a ribonucleoprotein complex containing the al2-encoded reverse transcriptase protein and excised al2 RNA. Remarkably, the al2 RNA cata...

Circularization pathway of a bacterial group II intron.

Group II introns are large RNA enzymes that can excise as lariats, circles or in a linear form through branching, circularization or hydrolysis, respectively. Branching is by far the main and most studied splicing pathway while circularization was mostly overlooked. We previously showed that removal of the branch point A residue from Ll.LtrB, the group II intron from Lactococcus lactis, exclusi...

RNA/protein interactions during group II intron splicing and toward group II intron targeting in mammalian cells