A novel RNase G mutant that is defective in degradation of adhE mRNA but proficient in the processing of 16S rRNA precursor.

Escherichia coli RNase G, encoded by the rng gene, is involved in both the processing of 16S rRNA precursor and the degradation of adhE mRNA. Consequently, defects in RNase G result in elevation of AdhE levels. Furthermore, the adhR430 mutant strain, DC430, is reported to overproduce the AdhE protein in a manner dependent on the adhC81 mutation. We found that overproduction of AdhE by DC430 was reversed to wild-type levels by introduction of a plasmid carrying the wild-type allele of rng. Mapping by P1-phage-mediated transduction also indicated that a mutation involved in AdhE overproduction was located around the rng region in DC430. DNA sequencing of the rng region revealed that DC430 indeed had a mutation in the rng gene: a G1022 to A transition that caused substitution of Gly341 with Ser and which was named rng430. This lies in the highly conserved region of the RNase E/RNase G family, called high similarity region 2 (HSR2). However, very interestingly, rng430 mutant strains did not accumulate the 16.3S precursor of 16S rRNA unlike rng::cat mutants. We also found that the Rng1 mutant protein, which is truncated in its C-terminal domain encompassing HSR2, exhibited a residual processing activity against the 16S rRNA precursor, when overproduced. These results indicate that the HSR2 of RNase G plays an important role in substrate recognition and/or ribonucleolytic action.