CAREER: Characterization of Plant RNase P and Examination of its Utility as a Functional Genomics Tool

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Ribonuclease P (RNase P) is a ubiquitous and essential ribonucleoprotein (RNP) involved in tRNA biogenesis. Bacterial RNase P consists of a catalytic RNA subunit and a protein cofactor. While the RNA subunits of most archaeal and all eukaryal RNase P contain several of the critical and conserved secondary structural elements present in their bacterial counterpart, they are not catalytically active in vitro in the absence of their multiple protein subunits, whose number varies from four to ten depending on the source. Since both the RNA and protein subunits are essential for function in vivo in all organisms, RNase P serves as a paradigm for understanding how proteins modulate RNA function. Moreover, the variations in the functional assignment and composition of subunits in the three domains of life provide a unique opportunity to evaluate if RNase P represents an early RNA enzyme progressing through evolutionary stages to an RNA-protein enzyme in which proteins have usurped most of the functions originally carried out by the RNA. Proteins could have also been recruited to facilitate subcellular targeting and spatio-temporal control of RNase P expression. Any insight in this regard would provide some vindication of the provocative RNA world hypothesis. The long-term goal of this research is to use plant RNase P as a model system for understanding the complex subunit make-up of eukaryal RNase P in a multi-cellular organism and also employ this knowledge to exploit plant RNase P for targeted degradation of endogenous mRNAs, an application that would facilitate discovery of gene-function relationships. This project will help build a network of academic collaborations and strengthen the infrastructure for research at a land grant institution. The dual aims of fostering learning and advancing discovery in biochemistry, plant molecular biology and biotechnology will continue to be accomplished by innovatively integrating state of the art multi-dimensional research training and education for undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral scholars.