- Tobacco Acid Pyrophosphatase
The Tobacco Acid Pyrophosphatase (TAP) is an
enzyme that cathalises the hydrolisis of aphosphoric ester bounds in the 5'-end ofmRNA .During mRNA maturation the 5' triphosphate of the new mRNA molecule is rapidly removed. The diphosphate 5' end then attacks the α-phosphorus atom of a methilated GTP to form a very unusual 5'-5' triphosphate linkage, called "cap". [cite book| author=JEREMY M. BERG; JOHN L. TYMOCZKOL; LUBERT STRYER | date=2002 | title=Biochemistry| Section=28.3.1 [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?highlight=mRNA&rid=stryer.section.3995#3997 Online version] ] The advantage of the TAP lies in its specificity to hydrolise a phosphodiester bound of this particular structure, releasing a mRNA molecule with only one phosphate group in the 5'-end. [cite journal| author=Lockard, RE; Rieser, L; Vournakis JN. | date=1981 | title=Labeling of eukaryotic messenger RNA 5' terminus with phosphorus -32: use of tobacco acid pyrophosphatase for removal of cap structures.| journal = Gene Amplif Anal | volume = 2| page= 229-51]
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