Circular box C/D RNAs in Pyrococcus furiosus

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Sep 28;101(39):14097-101. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0403520101. Epub 2004 Sep 16.

Abstract

Box C/D RNAs are small, noncoding RNAs that function in RNA modification in eukaryotes and archaea. Here, we report that box C/D RNAs exist in the rare biological form of RNA circles in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. Northern analysis of box C/D RNAs reveals two prominent RNA species of different electrophoretic mobilities in total P. furiosus RNA preparations. Together, the results of Northern, ribozyme, RT-PCR, and lariat debranching analyses indicate that the two species are circular and linear RNAs of similar length and abundance. It seems that most, if not all, species of box C/D RNAs exist as circles in P. furiosus. In addition, the circular RNAs are found in complexes with proteins required for box C/D RNA function. Our finding places box C/D RNAs among the extremely few circular RNAs known to exist in nature. Moreover, the unexpected discovery of circular box C/D RNAs points to the existence of a previously unrecognized biogenesis pathway for box C/D RNAs in archaea.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Blotting, Western
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Immunoprecipitation / methods
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Pyrococcus furiosus / chemistry
  • Pyrococcus furiosus / genetics*
  • RNA / genetics*
  • RNA, Archaeal / chemistry
  • RNA, Archaeal / genetics*
  • RNA, Catalytic / analysis
  • RNA, Catalytic / genetics
  • RNA, Circular
  • RNA, Small Nucleolar / chemistry
  • RNA, Small Nucleolar / genetics
  • Rabbits
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nucleolar / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Archaeal
  • RNA, Catalytic
  • RNA, Circular
  • RNA, Small Nucleolar
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nucleolar
  • RNA