STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF THE RNA COMPONENT OF RNASE P

描述（改编自摘要）：这是一份修订后的提案。RNA是核心 许多重要的细胞过程，也是独特的核 酸能够催化化学反应。尽管它很重要， 人们对大于50的RNA分子的原子结构知之甚少。 个核苷酸申请人对大RNA的结构感兴趣 分子，因此将注意力集中在核糖核酸酶的RNA组分上 P（RNase P）。RNase P是负责切割5'末端的内切核酸酶 导致tRNA成熟。RNA酶P RNA（P RNA） 枯草芽孢杆菌和大肠杆菌由两个独立的结构域形成。 结构域I约150个核苷酸长（约52kDa），并且涉及 在tRNA识别中。申请人已经从两个B结晶了结构域I。 subtilis和E.大肠杆菌并已开始阐明其原子结构。 本项目的长期目标是了解结构和功能 RNase P RNA。该提案的具体目标是：阐明原子 B结构域I结构。枯草杆菌P RNA。水晶已经到手了， 它们的电阻至少为4.0 A。为了改善B的第I晶畴的结晶。 subtilis P RNA能够获得原子分辨率信息。阐明 E. coli P RNA（M1 RNA）。初步的晶体 已经获得。比较来自B的结构域I的结构。枯草 和E.大肠杆菌，以确定其相似性的重要特征， 差异 对P RNA的研究与其他大RNA分子的研究有关， 特别是催化RNA分子的研究。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from abstract): This is a revised proposal. RNA is central to a multitude of important cellular processes and is also unique among nucleic acids in being able to catalyze chemical reactions. Despite its importance, very little is known about the atomic structure of RNA molecules larger than 50 nucleotides. The applicants are interested in the structure of large RNA molecules and hence have focused attention on the RNA component of ribonuclease P (Rnase P). RNase P is the endonuclease responsible for cleavage of the 5' end of pre-tRNA leading to tRNA maturation. Both the Rnase P RNA (P RNA) from Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli are formed by two independent domains. Domain I is approximately 150 nucleotides long (about 52 kDa) and is involved in tRNA recognition. The applicants have crystallized domain I from both B. subtilis and E. coli and have started to elucidate their atomic structures. The long term goal of this project is to understand the structure and function of RNase P RNA. The specific aims of this proposal are: To elucidate the atomic structure of domain I of B. subtilis P RNA. Crystals are already in hand, and they diffract to at least 4.0 A. To improve the crystals of domain I of B. subtilis P RNA to be able to obtain atomic resolution information. To elucidate the structure of domain I of E. coli P RNA (M1 RNA). Preliminary crystals have already been obtained. To compare the structure of domain I from B. subtilis and E. coli to identify the features important for their similarities and differences. The work on P RNA is relevant to other studies of large RNA molecules and, in particular, to the study of catalytic RNA molecules.