• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.699-704
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• 2006

Escherichia coli RNase P is a ribonucleoprotein composed of M1 RNA and C5 protein. Previously, analysis of RNA aptamers selected for C5 protein from a synthetic RNA library showed that C5 protein could bind various RNA molecules as an RNA binding protein. In this study, we searched cellular RNA motifs that could be recognized by C5 protein by a genomic SELEX approach. We found various C5 protein-binding RNA motifs derived from E. coli genomic sequences. Our results suggest that C5 protein interacts with various cellular RNA species in addition to M1 RNA.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.511-515
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• 2008

The nucleocapsid (NC) protein of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 plays a key role in viral genomic packaging by specifically recognizing the Psi($\Psi$) RNA sequence within the HIV-1 genome RNA. Recently, a novel cell-based assay was developed to probe the specific interactions in vivo between the NC and $\Psi$-RNA using E.coli cells (J. Virol. 81: 6151-55, 2007). In order to examine the extendibility of this cell-based assay to RNAs other than $\Psi$-RNA, this study tested the RNA aptamers isolated in vitro using the SELEX method, but whose specific binding ability to NC in a living cellular environment has not been established. The results demonstrate for the first time that each of those aptamer RNAs can bind specifically to NC in a NC zinc finger motif dependent manner within the cell. This confirms that the cell-based assay developed for NC-$\Psi$interaction can be further extended and applied to NC-binding RNAs other than $\Psi$-RNA.