Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains three nonessential
genes (NGL1, NGL2, and NGL3) that
encode proteins containing a domain with similarity to a
Mg2+-dependent endonuclease motif present in the
mRNA deadenylase Ccr4p. We have investigated a possible role
of these proteins in rRNA processing, because for many of the
pre-rRNA processing steps, the identity of the responsible nuclease
remains elusive. Analysis of RNA isolated from cells in which
the NGL2 gene has been inactivated (ngl2Δ)
demonstrates that correct 3′-end formation of 5.8S rRNA
at site E is strictly dependent on Ngl2p. No role in pre-rRNA
processing could be assigned to Ngl1p and Ngl3p. The
3′-extended 5.8S rRNA formed in the ngl2Δ mutant
is slightly shorter than the 6S precursor previously shown to
accumulate upon combined deletion of the 3′ → 5′
exonuclease-encoding REX1 and REX2 genes or upon
depletion of the exosomal subunits Rrp40p or Rrp45p. Thus, our
data add a further component to the set of nucleases required
for correct 3′-end formation of yeast 5.8S rRNA.