New Insights Into RNA Processing by the Eukaryotic tRNA Splicing Endonuclease

Authors

Cassandra K Hayne
Samoil Sekulovski
Jennifer E Hurtig
Robin E Stanley
Simon Trowitzsch
Ambro van Hoof

Publication Date

9-1-2023

Journal

Journal of Biological Chemistry

Abstract

Through its role in intron cleavage, tRNA splicing endonuclease (TSEN) plays a critical function in the maturation of intron-containing pre-tRNAs. The catalytic mechanism and core requirement for this process is conserved between archaea and eukaryotes, but for decades, it has been known that eukaryotic TSENs have evolved additional modes of RNA recognition, which have remained poorly understood. Recent research identified new roles for eukaryotic TSEN, including processing or degradation of additional RNA substrates, and determined the first structures of pre-tRNA-bound human TSEN complexes. These recent discoveries have changed our understanding of how the eukaryotic TSEN targets and recognizes substrates. Here, we review these recent discoveries, their implications, and the new questions raised by these findings.

Keywords

tRNA splicing, RNA, protein structure, RNA processing, RNA degradation, TSEN