7 S RNA: a single site substrate for the RNA processing enzyme ribonuclease E of Escherichia coli.

7 S RNA accumulates at non-permissive temperatures in an RNAase E strain containing the recombinant plasmid pJR3 delta which carries a single 5 S rRNA gene and expression sequences. 7 S RNA is a processing intermediate that contains the complete sequence of 5 S rRNA as well as a stem-and-loop structure encoded by the terminator of rrnD. 7 S RNA can be processed in vitro by RNAase E. Structural analysis of the products (5 S rRNA and the stem) of in vitro processing of 7 S RNA revealed that the cleavage site of RNAase E in 7 S RNA is 3 nucleotides downstream from the 3' end of the mature 5 S rRNA. The cleavage generates 3'-hydroxyl and 5'-phosphate termini.