The yeast aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Methodology for their complete or partial purification and comparison of their relative activities under various extraction conditions

The twenty aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases from Escherichia coli. General separation procedure, and comparison of the influence of pH and divalent cations on their catalytic activities

A general separation procedure of the twenty E. coli aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases including either a 105 000 g centrifugation or a poly-ethyleneglycol-dextran two-phases partition fractionation, and chromatographies on DEAE-cellulose, phosphocellulose and hydroxyapatite is described. The specific activities of the synthetases have been determined after each chromatographic step and compared to their respective activities in the 105 000 g supernatant. Some aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases were obtained at 80 per cent purity. The presence of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride does not significantly modify either the elution patterns of the synthetases during the various chromatographic steps or their specific activities. Thus, contrarily to enzymes from various eukaryotic organisms no significant inactivation of the E. coli aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases occurs via proteolytic processes during the purification procedure. The effects of various factors: pH, magnesium, and other bivalent cations including spermidine, were tested on the aminoacylation and the [32P] PPi-ATP isotope-exchange reactions, and the optimal aminoacylation and isotope-exchange conditions determined for 18 of the 20 E. coli aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.

Lack of correlation between affinity of the tRNA for the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and aminoacylation capacity as studied with modified tRNAPhe

The interactions of several modified yeast tRNAPhe [tRNAPhe lacking 7-methylguanine; a fragment comprising about 3/4 of the whole molecule: tRNAPhe (18--76); tRNAPhe (18--76) lacking 7-methylguanine] with yeast phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase were studied. Upon excision of the 5'-quarter of the tRNAPhe molecule, the residual fragment still tightly binds to the synthetase, but can no longer by aminoacylated. Surprisingly, upon removal of the 7-methylguanine base at position 46 in this fragment, althought the affinity drops by a factor 10, a significant aminoacylation is restored. These results are discussed in terms of molecular flexibility and a model is proposed for tRNA-enzyme interaction, involving multisite recognition.

Ultracentrifugation studies of yeast valyl-tRNA synthetase and of its interaction with tRNAVal

Yeast valyl-tRNA synthetase and its complexes with yeast tRNAVal were investigated by means of analytical ultracentrifugation. A molecular weight of 125 700 +/- 1500 and a sedimentation coefficient (SO 20, w) of 6.3 +/- 0.3 were found for the native enzyme. When the enzyme (3--60 muM) was mixed with its cognate tRNA, several types of complex were observed, depending on the relative amounts of the two macromolecules. In the presence of equimolecular amounts of tRNA and enzyme, a complex formed by the association of one of each molecule was observed with a sedimentation coefficient of about 7.3 S. However, for tRNA/enzyme stoichiometries lower than one, beside the 1 : 1 complex, a complex of higher molecular weight was observed, with a sedimentation coefficient of about 10.0 S which fits with the association of two valyl-tRNA synthetase molecules with one tRNA molecule. This 2 : 1 complex was predominant from tRNA/enzyme stoichiometries lower than 0.3. It dissociated into the 1 : 1 complex upon addition of monovalent salts or MgCl2, suggesting the electrostatic nature of the interaction in this association. All these association and dissociation phenomena were detected over a large range of pH (6.0--7.5) and in various buffers.