Ribosome biosynthesis, best studied in opisthokonts, is a highly complex process involving numerous protein and RNA factors. Yet, very little is known about the early stages of pre-18S rRNA processing even in these model organisms, let alone the conservation of this mechanism in other eukaryotes. Here we extend our knowledge of this process by identifying and characterizing the essential protein TbUTP10, a homolog of yeast U3 small nucleolar RNA-associated protein 10 - UTP10 (HEATR1 in human), in the excavate parasitic protist Trypanosoma brucei. We show that TbUTP10 localizes to the nucleolus and that its ablation by RNAi knock-down in two different T. brucei life cycle stages results in similar phenotypes: a disruption of pre-18S rRNA processing, exemplified by the accumulation of rRNA precursors, a reduction of mature 18S rRNA, and also a decrease in the level of U3 snoRNA. Moreover, polysome profiles of the RNAi-induced knock-down cells show a complete disappearance of the 40S ribosomal subunit, and a prominent accumulation of the 60S large ribosomal subunit, reflecting impaired ribosome assembly. Thus, TbUTP10 is an important protein in the processing of 18S rRNA.

• Klíčová slova
• Pre-18S rRNA processing, Ribosomal RNA, Trypanosoma, U3 snoRNA, UTP10,
• MeSH
• esenciální geny * MeSH
• malá jadérková RNA metabolismus   MeSH
• posttranskripční úpravy RNA * MeSH
• proteiny vázající RNA genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• protozoální proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA ribozomální 18S metabolismus   MeSH
• Trypanosoma brucei brucei enzymologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• umlčování genů MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• malá jadérková RNA MeSH
• proteiny vázající RNA MeSH
• protozoální proteiny MeSH
• RNA ribozomální 18S MeSH

Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of the human and veterinarian diseases African sleeping sickness and nagana. A majority of its mitochondrial-encoded transcripts undergo RNA editing, an essential process of post-transcriptional uridine insertion and deletion to produce translatable mRNA. Besides the well-characterized RNA editing core complex, the mitochondrial RNA-binding 1 (MRB1) complex is one of the key players. It comprises a core complex of about six proteins, guide RNA-associated proteins (GAPs) 1/2, which form a heterotetramer that binds and stabilizes gRNAs, plus MRB5390, MRB3010, and MRB11870, which play roles in initial stages of RNA editing, presumably guided by the first gRNA:mRNA duplex in the case of the latter two proteins. To better understand all functions of the MRB1 complex, we performed a functional analysis of the MRB8620 core subunit, the only one not characterized so far. Here we show that MRB8620 plays a role in RNA editing in both procyclic and bloodstream stages of T. brucei, which reside in the tsetse fly vector and mammalian circulatory system, respectively. While RNAi silencing of MRB8620 does not affect procyclic T. brucei fitness when grown in glucose-containing media, it is somewhat compromised in cells grown in the absence of this carbon source. MRB8620 is crucial for integrity of the MRB1 core, such as its association with GAP1/2, which presumably acts to deliver gRNAs to this complex. In contrast, GAP1/2 is not required for the fabrication of the MRB1 core. Disruption of the MRB1 core assembly is followed by the accumulation of mRNAs associated with GAP1/2.

• Klíčová slova
• RNA editing, mitochondrion, trypanosome,
• MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• editace RNA * MeSH
• messenger RNA genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• mitochondriální proteiny fyziologie   MeSH
• mitochondrie MeSH
• protozoální proteiny fyziologie   MeSH
• Trypanosoma brucei brucei genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Názvy látek
• messenger RNA MeSH
• mitochondriální proteiny MeSH
• protozoální proteiny MeSH