Analysis of the base substitutions found in the Xenopus laevis 5 S RNA pseudogene

Xenopus transcription factor IIIA (XTFIIIA): after a decade of research

Xenopus transcription factor IIIA (XTFIIIA) is the first eukaryotic transcription factor purified to homogeneity and is specifically required for the 5S RNA gene transcription. It contains two structural domains and nine zinc finger motifs through which it recognizes the promoter region of the 5S RNA gene. It also binds to 5S RNA and serves to store 5S RNA in the form of 7S ribonucleoprotein particles in oocytes. Additionally, it forms a metastable complex with 5S DNA and promotes the formation of stable and competent transcription complexes. Its expression is developmentally controlled at the level of transcription and translation. Moreover, it participates in the assembly of active chromatin templates and at least, in part, is responsible for the developmental regulation of two kinds of 5S RNA genes in Xenopus.

A model for the interaction of nucleic acids with transcription factor IIIA

Based on published biochemical evidence which examines the interaction of Xenopus transcription factor IIIA (TFIIIA) with 5 S RNA genes and 5 S RNA, this paper proposes that the formation of a 5 S RNA type stem-loop structure in the DNA occurs during the binding of TFIIIA to 5 S genes.

Structural requirements for the interaction of 5S rRNA with the eukaryotic transcription factor IIIA

In order to study the binding of the eukaryotic transcription factor IIIA to heterologous 5S rRNAs with a low degree of overall sequence conservation (less than 20%) we have utilized a transcription competition assay involving eubacterial, archaebacterial and eukaryotic 5S rRNAs. All the molecules inhibit Xenopus 5S rRNA transcription specifically, which suggests that only a small amount of specific conserved RNA sequences, if indeed any, are essential for the interaction of the transcription factor with the 5S rRNA molecule, whereas universal 5S rRNA secondary structure elements seem to be required. A fragment of Xenopus laevis oocyte 5S rRNA (nucleotides 41-120), which partially maintains the original 5S rRNA structure, also competes for TF III A. In vitro transcription of a naturally occurring mutant of the Xenopus laevis oocyte 5S rRNA gene, the pseudogene, which carries several point mutations within the TF III A binding domain is equally inhibited by exogenous Xenopus 5S rRNA.