Determination of N-(9-( -D-ribofuranosyl)purin-6-ylcarbamoly)threonine at the picomole level in transfer-RNA

The chemical synthesis of the anticodon loop of an eukaryotic initiator tRNA containing the hypermodified nucleoside N6-/N-threonylcarbonyl/-adenosine/t6A/1

In this work, the first example of chemical synthesis of oligoribonucleotide containing the hypermodified nucleoside N6-/N-threonylcarbonyl/-adenosine /t6A/ is presented. Synthesis of the heptamer C-C-C-A-U-t6A-A IX, the sequence of which is related to the anticodon loop of the initiator tRNA from yellow lupine, was achieved by: /i/ phosphotriester block synthesis of suitably protected heptamer VI containing an adenosine unit with a free exo-NH2 group, /ii/ highly effective "one-flask" procedure for the transformation of the free exo-NH2 group of adenosine unit of heptamer VI into a N,N'-disubstituted urea system of t6A of heptamer VII /hypermodification/, and /iii/ final deprotection of VIII /32% total yield/ with the use of a new approach for simultaneous hydrogenolysis /PdO-hydrogen-pyridine/ of the p-nitrobenzyl group and 2,2,2-trichloroethyl groups from carboxyl function of t6A and internucleotide phosphates respectively.

The involvement of the anticodon adjacent modified nucleoside N-(9-(BETA-D-ribofuranosyl) purine-6-ylcarbamoyl)-threonine in the biological function of E. coli tRNAile

tRNAile was isolated from E. coli Cp 79 (leu-, arg-, thr-, his-, thiamin-, RCrel) which had been grown on a sub-optimal concentration of thr and was found to contain an average of 50% less N-[9-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl)- purin-6-ylcarbamoyl]threonine, t6Ado, than tRNAile from cells grown on an optimum concentration of thr and containing a normal complement of t6Ado. The two tRNA's were identical in their ability to be aminoacylated, to accept the 3'-terminal dinucleotide, and to form an ile-tRNAile-Tu-GTP complex. In contrast, the t6Ado-deficient-tRNA was significantly less efficient in binding to ribosomes compared to the normal tRNA. This difference was seen in the binding of deacylated tRNA and in the nonenzymatic and enzymatic binding of ile-tRNA, all in response to poly AUC. The t6Ado-deficient ile-tRNA demonstrated no binding at Mg2+ concentrations less than or equal to 10 mM, while the normal ile-tRNA bound at low Mg2+ concentrations. Tetracycline had the same effect on the normal as on the t6Ado-deficient ile-tRNA binding. As a control, the binding of phe-tRNA (which does not contain t6Ado) from normal and thr-starved cells in response to poly U was identical. It was concluded that t6Ado is required for proper codon-anticodon interaction.