Journal article icon

Journal article

Conserved domains and structural motifs that differentiate closely related Rex1 and Rex3 DEDDh exoribonucleases are required for their function in yeast

Abstract:
The DEDD family of exonucleases has expanded through evolution whilst retaining a conserved catalytic domain. One subgroup with closely related catalytic DEDD domain sequences includes the yeast enzymes Rex1 (RNA exonuclease 1) and Rex3, the metazoan REXO1 (RNA exonuclease 1 homologue) and Rexo5 proteins, and the plant protein Sdn5 (small RNA degrading nuclease). Comparison of protein structure models and sequence analyses revealed that this group can be differentiated into two distinct clades consisting of Rex1, Rexo5 and Sdn5 on the one hand, and Rex3 and REXO1 on the other. The catalytic domain of Rex1-related proteins is inserted within a conserved, discontinuous alkaline phosphatase (AlkP) domain. The AlkP domain of yeast Rex1 contains three surface loops that are modelled to be directed towards the DEDD domain, one of which forms an extended helical arch that is found in homologues across fungi and plants. We show that this arch and an adjacent loop are required for Rex1-mediated processing of 5S rRNA and tRNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Rex3-related proteins, including REXO1, lack the AlkP domain but contain a KIX domain (CREB kinase-inducible domain (KID) interacting domain) and a cysteine- and histidine-rich domain (CHORD) adjacent to a C-terminal DEDD domain. Deletion of the N-terminal region within yeast Rex3 spanning the KIX domain blocked its function in RNase MRP processing. In contrast to Rex1, Rex3 proteins are found in metazoans and fungi but not in plants or algae. This work identifies evolutionarily conserved structural hallmarks within Rex1 and Rex3 proteins and demonstrates that specific features are required for Rex1- and Rex3-mediated RNA processing pathways in vivo
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

Actions

Access Document

Authors

More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-7216-8473
More by this author
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0009-0007-0996-2600
More by this author
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-3178-0439


Publisher:
Public Library of Science
Journal:
PLoS ONE More from this journal
Volume:
20
Issue:
6
Pages:
e0321120-e0321120
Publication date:
2025-06-02
DOI:
EISSN:
1932-6203
ISSN:
1932-6203


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
2429370
Local pid:
pubs:2429370
Source identifiers:
W4410950275
Deposit date:
2026-06-04
ARK identifier:
This ORA record was generated from metadata provided by an external service. It has not been edited by the ORA Team.

Terms of use


Views and Downloads






If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record

TO TOP