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SUMMARY:RNA editing in plant organelles: Correlation between editing sites
  and protein three-dimensional structures - Kei Yura (Ochanomizu Universit
 y\, Tokyo)
DTSTART:20080930T120000Z
DTEND:20080930T130000Z
UID:TALK13504@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Gos Micklem
DESCRIPTION:In plant organelles\, specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are subj
 ected to conversion editing\, a process that often converts the first or s
 econd nucleotide of a codon and hence of the encoded amino acid. No system
 atic patterns in converted sites were found on mRNAs\, and the converted s
 ites rarely encoded residues located at the active sites of proteins. The 
 role and origin of RNA editing in plant organelles remain to be elucidated
 . Here we study the relationship between amino acid residues encoded by ed
 ited codons and the structural characteristics of these residues within pr
 oteins. We find that the residues encoded by edited codons are significant
 ly biased toward involvement in helices and protein structural cores. The 
 puzzling point of the finding is that the editing occurs on mRNA and prote
 in 3D structures cannot play roles in the editing processes. We propose th
 e cause of the observed correlation based on the evolution of land plants.
 \n\n
LOCATION:Lecture Theatre\, Department of Biochemistry\, Hopkins Building (
 old building)
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