rna processing in the minimal organism nanoarchaeum equitansrna加工的最小生物nanoarchaeum equitans.pdfVIP

Randau Genome Biology 2012, 13:R63 /2012/13/7/R63 RESEARCH Open Access RNA processing in the minimal organism Nanoarchaeum equitans Lennart Randau Abstract Background: The minimal genome of the tiny, hyperthermophilic archaeon Nanoarchaeum equitans contains several fragmented genes and revealed unusual RNA processing pathways. These include the maturation of tRNA molecules via the trans-splicing of tRNA halves and genomic rearrangements to compensate for the absence of RNase P. Results: Here, the RNA processing events in the N. equitans cell are analyzed using RNA-Seq deep sequencing methodology. All tRNA half precursor and tRNA termini were determined and support the tRNA trans-splicing model. The processing of CRISPR RNAs from two CRISPR clusters was verified. Twenty-seven C/D box small RNAs (sRNAs) and a H/ACA box sRNA were identified. The C/D box sRNAs were found to flank split genes, to form dicistronic tRNA-sRNA precursors and to be encoded within the tRNAMet intron. Conclusions: The presented data provide an overview of the production and usage of small RNAs in a cell that has to survive with a highly reduced genome. N. equitans lost many essential metabolic pathways but maintains highly active CRISPR/Cas and rRNA modification systems that appear to play an important role in genome fragmentation. Background synthetase or the reverse gyrase [3]. Other unusual Nanoarchaeum equitans is a 400 nm small archaeon iso- features concern the processing of RNA molecules. lated from hot submarine vent microbial communities N. equitans was the first organism shown to require the whose growth relies on its attachment to the cell surface assembly of tRNA halves to generate six essential func- o