Substrate affinity and substrate specificity of proteasomes with RNase activity.

We have partially reconstituted 20S proteasome/RNA complexes using oligonucleotides corresponding to ARE (adenosine- and uridine-rich element) (AUUUA)4 and HIV-TAR (human immunodeficiency virus-Tat transactivation response element), a stem-loop structure in the 5' UTR (untranslated region) of HIV-mRNAs. We demonstrate that these RNAs which associate with proteasomes are degraded by proteasomal endonuclease activity. The formation of these 20S proteasome/RNA substrate complexes is rather specific since 20S proteasomes do not interfere with truncated TAR that is not cleaved by proteasomal endonuclease.