A site-specific factor interacts directly with its cognate RNA editing site in chloroplast transcripts

RNA editing involves a variety of genetic systems and occurs by different mechanisms. In higher plant chloroplasts, specific sites of some transcripts are subject to C-to-U conversion. We have previously shown that site-specific trans-acting factors for psbE and petB mRNA editing bind corresponding cis-elements, which are located 5 nucleotides upstream from the editing site. Here we report that, by using mRNAs labeled either at the center of the upstream cis-element or at the editing site, the site-specific factors can be cross-linked with nucleotides at both positions. Mutations of nucleotides in the proximal region of the editing site revealed a correlation between editing activity and cross-linking efficiency of factors with the editing site, even though cross-linking with the upstream cis-element was unaffected: These observations suggest that the site-specific factor binds stably to the upstream cis-element, whereas it interacts weakly with the editing site. This finding raises the intriguing possibility that the site-specific factor is involved in both site-determination and C-to-U conversion in chloroplast RNA editing.