Abstract
The RNA of small ribosomal subunits contains two adjacent adenines near the 3’ end of the molecule that are dimethylated in the N6 position (Fig. 1). Although this modification is universal in nature, a mutant of Escherichia coli has been isolated that is resistant to the antibiotic kasugamycin and that lacks the enzyme responsible for this methylation (Helser et al., 1971). A comparison of the in vitro properties of wild-type and mutant ribosomes has revealed, in addition to a difference in response to kasugamycin, small but distinct differences in other properties of the ribosomes (Poldermans et al., 1979a; 1980). The enzyme (methylase, product of the ksg A gene) has been purified and used to transform mutant ribosomes in vitro to pseudo-wild-type (Poldermans et al., 1979b). Recently an additional methylation (m2G in Fig. 1A,B) was found in this region of the 16S RNA of E.coli (Van Charldorp et al., 1981b). Altogether, in E.coli, 5 of the 13 methylgroups present in the 16S ribosomal RNA are located in this hairpin loop.
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References
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van Knippenberg, P.H., van Charldorp, R. (1982). Effect of dimethylation of two adjacent adenines on the structure of 16S RNA. In: Biochemistry of S-Adenosylmethionine and Related Compounds. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-06343-7_40
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-06343-7_40
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
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