The innate immune system has evolved a number of sensors that recognize viral RNA (vRNA) to restrict infection, yet the full spectrum of host-encoded RNA binding proteins that target these foreign RNAs is still unknown. The RNA decay machinery, which uses exonucleases to degrade aberrant RNAs largely from the 5' or 3' end, is increasingly recognized as playing an important role in antiviral def...

Capping is the first step in pre-mRNA processing, and the resulting 5'-RNA cap is required for mRNA splicing, export, translation, and stability. Capping is functionally coupled to transcription by RNA polymerase (Pol) II, but the coupling mechanism remains unclear. We show that efficient binding of the capping enzyme (CE) to transcribing, phosphorylated yeast Pol II (Pol IIp) requires nascent ...

An enzyme, purified 300-fold from Escherichia coli infected with bacteriophage T4, catalyzes the conversion of 5'-termini of polyribonucleotides to internal phosphodiester bonds. The reaction requires ATP and Mg(++). For every 5'-(32)P terminus rendered resistant to alkaline phosphatase, an equal amount of AMP and PPi are formed. Various polyribonucleotides are substrates in the reaction; to da...

TAL Effector Nucleases (TALENs) are versatile tools for targeted gene editing in various species. However, their efficiency is still insufficient, especially in mammalian embryos. Here, we showed that combined expression of Exonuclease 1 (Exo1) with engineered site-specific TALENs provided highly efficient disruption of the endogenous gene in rat fibroblast cells. A similar increased efficiency...

We previously identified a complex of 3' --> 5' exoribonucleases, designated the exosome, that is expected to play a major role in diverse RNA processing and degradation pathways. Further biochemical and genetic analyses have revealed six novel components of the complex. Therefore, the complex contains 11 components, 10 of which are predicted to be 3' --> 5' exoribonucleases on the basis of seq...

Individual nucleic acid molecules might be sequenced by the identification of nucleoside 5'-monophosphates as they are released by processive exonucleases. Here, we show that single molecule detection with a modified protein nanopore can be used to identify ribonucleoside and 2'-deoxyribonucleoside 5'-monophosphates, thereby taking a step along this path. Distinct levels of current block are ob...

The TREX enzymes process DNA as the major 3'-->5' exonuclease activity in mammalian cells. TREX2 and TREX1 are members of the DnaQ family of exonucleases and utilize a two metal ion catalytic mechanism of hydrolysis. The structure of the dimeric TREX2 enzyme in complex with single-stranded DNA has revealed binding properties that are distinct from the TREX1 protein. The TREX2 protein undergoes ...

Here we demonstrate a new regulatory mechanism for tRNA processing in Escherichia coli whereby RNase T and RNase PH, the two primary 3' → 5' exonucleases involved in the final step of 3'-end maturation, compete with poly(A) polymerase I (PAP I) for tRNA precursors in wild-type cells. In the absence of both RNase T and RNase PH, there is a >30-fold increase of PAP I-dependent poly(A) tails that ...

From an induced lysogen of bacteriophage Mu-1, we partially purified a substance of high molecular weight that blocks the action of several exonucleases on double-stranded DNA. The presence of the inhibitor in cell-free extracts is dependent on induction of a Mu prophage. The Mu-related inhibitor acts by binding to double-stranded DNA rather than by interacting with the DNase. The inhibitor pro...

Viruses have been long known to perturb cell cycle regulators and key players of the DNA damage response to benefit their life cycles. In the case of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the viral auxiliary protein Vpr activates the structure-specific endonuclease SLX4 complex to promote escape from innate immune sensing and, as a side effect, induces replication stress in cycling cells and ...