LAUSR

In all domains of life, RNA turnover is important for gene regulation and quality control. The process of RNA metabolism is regulated by many RNA-processing enzymes and assistant proteins, where these proteins usually exist as complexes. However, there is little known about the RNA metabolism, as well as about the RNA degradation complex. In the present study, we described an RNA degradosome-like complex in cyanobacteria and revealed an assembly mechanism different from that of E. coli. Moreover, CrhB could help RNase E in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 degrade double-stranded RNA with a 5′ tail. In addition, CrhB and AnaRne have similar cytoplasm localizations, in contrast to the membrane localization in E. coli. ABSTRACT At present, little is known about the RNA metabolism driven by the RNA degradosome in cyanobacteria. RNA helicase and enolase are the common components of the RNA degradosome in many bacteria. Here, we provide evidence that both enolase and the DEAD-box RNA helicase CrhB can interact with RNase E in Anabaena (Nostoc) sp. strain PCC 7120 (referred to here as PCC 7120). Furthermore, we found that the C-terminal domains of CrhB and AnaEno (enolase of PCC 7120) are required for the interaction, respectively. Moreover, their recognition motifs for AnaRne (RNase E of PCC 7120) turned out to be located in the N-terminal catalytic domain, which is obviously different from those identified previously in Proteobacteria. We also demonstrated in enzyme activity assays that CrhB can induce AnaRne to degrade double-stranded RNA with a 5′ tail. Furthermore, we investigated the localization of CrhB and AnaRne by green fluorescent protein (GFP) translation fusion in situ and found that they both localized in the center of the PCC 7120 cytoplasm. This localization pattern is also different from the membrane binding of RNase E and RhlB in Escherichia coli. Together with the previous identification of polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) in PCC 7120, our results show that there is an RNA degradosome-like complex with a different assembly mechanism in cyanobacteria. IMPORTANCE In all domains of life, RNA turnover is important for gene regulation and quality control. The process of RNA metabolism is regulated by many RNA-processing enzymes and assistant proteins, where these proteins usually exist as complexes. However, there is little known about the RNA metabolism, as well as about the RNA degradation complex. In the present study, we described an RNA degradosome-like complex in cyanobacteria and revealed an assembly mechanism different from that of E. coli. Moreover, CrhB could help RNase E in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 degrade double-stranded RNA with a 5′ tail. In addition, CrhB and AnaRne have similar cytoplasm localizations, in contrast to the membrane localization in E. coli.