3a6p

Publication Abstract from PubMed

Nuclear export of microRNAs (miRNAs) by exportin-5 (Exp-5) is an essential step in miRNA biogenesis. Here, we present the 2.9 angstrom structure of the pre-miRNA nuclear export machinery formed by pre-miRNA complexed with Exp-5 and a guanine triphosphate (GTP)-bound form of the small nuclear guanine triphosphatase (GTPase) Ran (RanGTP). The x-ray structure shows that Exp-5:RanGTP recognizes the 2-nucleotide 3' overhang structure and the double-stranded stem of the pre-miRNA. Exp-5:RanGTP shields the pre-miRNA stem from degradation in a baseball mitt-like structure where it is held by broadly distributed weak interactions, whereas a tunnel-like structure of Exp-5 interacts strongly with the 2-nucleotide 3' overhang through hydrogen bonds and ionic interactions. RNA recognition by Exp-5:RanGTP does not depend on RNA sequence, implying that Exp-5:RanGTP can recognize a variety of pre-miRNAs.

A high-resolution structure of the pre-microRNA nuclear export machinery.,Okada C, Yamashita E, Lee SJ, Shibata S, Katahira J, Nakagawa A, Yoneda Y, Tsukihara T Science. 2009 Nov 27;326(5957):1275-9. PMID:19965479^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.