Biochemical and Genetic Analyses of Rna-Protein Interactions

The coat protein from bacteriophage R17/MS2 functions to repress translation of replicase and functions to encapsidate the RNA genome of the phage. The coat protein accomplishes these functions by interacting with a 21 nucleotide stem-loop structure located within the translation initiation region of the bacteriophage replicase gene. A great deal is known about the genetics and biochemistry of the RNA-protein interaction; however, the mechanism of translational repression is unclear. One model has the coat protein sequestering the SD sequence and AUG start codon in secondary structure while another model suggests that coat protein blocks 16S rRNA access to the RNA by steric masking. A new method for the construction of RNA challenge phages in a single recombination reaction was employed to create several replicase translational operator variants which have the hairpin structure recognized by coat at varying distances from the ant gene of bacteriophage P22 to demonstrate the mechanism of repression to be masking. Applying this knowledge, RNA-protein interactions of other systems can be studied using the RNA challenge phage system.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Microbiology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Fouts, Derrick Eugene

Contributors dc:contributor

• Daniel W. Celander

• Biology, Molecular

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI9812588

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/86721