L.Reinhard
et al.
(2015).
Structure of the nuclease subunit of human mitochondrial RNase P.
Nucleic Acids Res,
43,
5664-5672.
PubMed id: 25953853
DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv481
Structure of the nuclease subunit of human mitochondrial RNase P.
L.Reinhard,
S.Sridhara,
B.M.Hällberg.
ABSTRACT
Mitochondrial RNA polymerase produces long polycistronic precursors that contain
the mRNAs, rRNAs and tRNAs needed for mitochondrial translation. Mitochondrial
RNase P (mt-RNase P) initiates the maturation of the precursors by cleaving at
the 5' ends of the tRNAs. Human mt-RNase P is only active as a tripartite
complex (mitochondrial RNase P proteins 1-3; MRPP1-3), whereas plant and
trypanosomal RNase Ps (PRORPs)-albeit homologous to MRPP3-are active as single
proteins. The reason for this discrepancy has so far remained obscure. Here, we
present the crystal structure of human MRPP3, which features a remarkably
distorted and hence non-productive active site that we propose will switch to a
fully productive state only upon association with MRPP1, MRPP2 and pre-tRNA
substrate. We suggest a mechanism in which MRPP1 and MRPP2 both deliver the
pre-tRNA substrate and activate MRPP3 through an induced-fit process.