Date of Award:
5-2024
Document Type:
Dissertation
Degree Name:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department:
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Committee Chair(s)
Sean J. Johnson
Committee
Sean J. Johnson
Committee
Joan Hevel
Committee
Ryan N. Jackson
Committee
Nicholas E. Dickenson
Committee
Abby D. Benninghoff
Abstract
RNA, known as ribonucleic acid, is indispensable in every facet of life. RNAs participate in key processes such as transcription, translation, post-translational modification, and cell signaling. Remarkably, certain RNAs exhibit catalytic activity. Given RNA's diverse roles, it is unsurprising that defects in RNA metabolism can cause cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, cells employ various mechanisms to regulate and manage their RNA population.
In the nucleus, the RNA exosome is the major 3'→5' machinery that processes and degrades RNA. Various diseases have been associated with mutations in RNA exosome subunits. Some of these diseases are associated with impaired interactions with the RNA exosome cofactor, Mtr4. Mtr4 is an essential RNA helicase that serves as a bridge between upstream RNA targeting and downstream RNA decay. To better understand the role Mtr4 plays in these processes and diseases, we investigate Mtr4 by biochemically characterizing the conserved C-terminus and its interactions with the RNA exosome, developing a FRET-based system to monitor protein dynamics, and exploring paralogs from the model system Arabidopsis thaliana.
Checksum
1bdcbc558450f65a045d3d69941ec37d
Recommended Citation
Yim, Matthew Paul K., "Interrogation of Mtr4, an Essential RNA Helicase, Intramolecular Domains and Dynamics on Helicase Activity and Exosome Function: A Biochemical Characterization and Analysis" (2024). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present. 202.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd2023/202
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