On the relationship between the binding of ribosomal protein S1 to the 30 S subunit of Escherichia coli and 3' terminus of 16 S RNA

Effects of ribosomal proteins S1, S2 and the DeaD/CsdA DEAD-box helicase on translation of leaderless and canonical mRNAs in Escherichia coli

Leaderless mRNAs beginning with the AUG initiating codon occur in all kingdoms of life. It has been previously reported that translation of the leaderless cI mRNA is stimulated in an Escherichia coli rpsB mutant deficient in ribosomal protein S2. Here, we have studied this phenomenon at the molecular level by making use of an E. coli rpsB(ts) mutant. The analysis of the ribosomes isolated under the non-permissive conditions revealed that in addition to ribosomal protein S2, ribosomal protein S1 was absent, demonstrating that S2 is essential for binding of S1 to the 30S ribosomal subunit. In vitro translation assays and the selective translation of a leaderless mRNA in vivo at the non-permissive temperature corroborate and extend previous in vitro ribosome binding studies in that S1 is indeed dispensable for translation of leaderless mRNAs. The deaD/csdA gene, encoding the "DeaD/CsdA" DEAD-box helicase, has been isolated as a multicopy suppressor of rpsB(ts) mutations. Here, we show that expression of a plasmid-borne DeaD/CsdA gene restores both S1 and S2 on the ribosome at the non-permissive temperature in the rpsB(ts) strain, which in turn leads to suppression of the translational defect affecting canonical mRNSa. These data are discussed in terms of a model, wherein DeaD/CsdA is involved in ribosome biogenesis rather than acting directly on mRNA.

The protein family of RNA helicases

RNA helicases represent a large family of proteins that have been detected in almost all biological systems where RNA plays a central role. They are ubiquitously distributed over a wide range of organisms and are involved in nuclear and mitochondrial splicing processes, RNA editing, rRNA processing, translation initiation, nuclear mRNA export, and mRNA degradation. RNA helicases are described as essential factors in cell development and differentiation, and some of them play a role in transcription and replication of viral single-stranded RNA genomes. Comparisons of the conserved sequences reveal a close relationship between them and suggest that these proteins might be derived from a common ancestor. Biochemical studies have revealed a strong dependence of the unwinding activity on ATP hydrolysis. Although RNA helicase activity has only been demonstrated for a few examples yet, it is generally believed that all members of the largest subgroups, the DEAD and DEAH box proteins, exhibit this activity.

Identification of ribosomal protein S1 as a poly(A) binding protein in Escherichia coli

To elucidate the metabolic function of mRNA polyadenylation in Escherichia coli. we searched for a polyadenylate-binding protein as a potential mediator of the function of the poly(A) moiety. Using a nitrocellulose filter-binding assay and a Northwestern blot technique, a protein in the ribosomal supernatant fraction of E coli was identified and purified to homogeneity. N-terminal sequence analysis yielded a 25-residue sequence which corresponded to the 25 N-terminal amino acids of protein S1, one of the proteins of the E coli 30S ribosomal subunit. Poly(A) binding to S1 protein was inhibited by Mg2+ and Mn2+ and by ATP and stimulated 8-fold by 100 mM KCl. The binding of S1 to poly(A) occurred with an association constant of 3 x 10(6) M-1 and seemed to be only mildly cooperative. Competition studies of the binding of poly(A) and poly(C) to purified S1 protein were consistent with the presence of two polynucleotide binding sites, of which one binds poly(A) five times more strongly than poly(C), whereas the other binds poly(C) 50 times more strongly than poly(A). Poly(A) bound to 30S ribosomal subunits but not to 50S ribosomes. To study possible association of S1 with the poly(A) tracts of E coli mRNA in the process of translation, poly(A) RNA was isolated from polysomes by oligo(dT) cellulose chromatography and the poly(A) RNA with bound protein was eluted either directly or after digestion with RNase T1 and A. When subjected to Western blot analysis with antibody to S1, both poly(A) RNA and isolated poly(A) tracts revealed bound S1 protein. The implications of these results for the possible interaction of poly(A) tracts of mRNA and the translational machinery of E coli are discussed.

Cold shock induces a major ribosomal-associated protein that unwinds double-stranded RNA in Escherichia coli

A 70-kDa protein was specifically induced in Escherichia coli when the culture temperature was shifted from 37 to 15 degrees C. The protein was identified to be the product of the deaD gene (reassigned csdA) encoding a DEAD-box protein. Furthermore, after the shift from 37 to 15 degrees C, CsdA was exclusively localized in the ribosomal fraction and became a major ribosomal-associated protein in cells grown at 15 degrees C. The csdA deletion significantly impaired cell growth and the synthesis of a number of proteins, specifically the derepression of heat-shock proteins, at low temperature. Purified CsdA was found to unwind double-stranded RNA in the absence of ATP. Therefore, the requirement for CsdA in derepression of heat-shock protein synthesis is a cold shock-induced function possibly mediated by destabilization of secondary structures previously identified in the rpoH mRNA.

Structural dynamics of translating ribosomes: 16S ribosomal RNA bases that may move twice during translocation

Recent footprinting, sedimentation and neutron-scattering results obtained in vivo or on pre-translocation and post-translocation ribosomal complexes are integrated with cross-linking and immunoelectron microscopy information. It is proposed that the 30S subunit pulses during translocation and that its pre- and post-translocation structures are not necessarily identical. Accordingly, translocation is characterized by three consecutive conformational states of the 30S and 50S subunits. State 1 (the pre-translocation state) lasts until the elongation factor EF-G.GTP complex binds to the ribosome or adopts the GTPase conformation. State 2 (the translocation state, or the peak or plateau of the pulse) follows and lasts until EF-G adopts a subsequent conformation or is released from the ribosome. State 3 (the post-translocation state) ensues and lasts until A (aminoacyl) site binding of aminoacyl-tRNA. In state 2, 16S RNA hairpins 26 and 33-33A, located in the platform and the head of the 30S subunit, respectively, become kinked or twisted, and residue A1503, near the decoding site, becomes exposed. A platform twist is associated with P (peptide) to E (exit) site tRNA movements and a head twist with pivoting of the peptidyl-tRNA elbow from the A to the P site, around a (retractable?) S19 domain. These twists result in an unlocking of the platform and the head from the 50S subunit. Exposure of A1503 is tentatively associated with movements of mRNA or tRNA anticodon stem-loops. These twisted or otherwise-exposed residues readopt their previous setting upon completion of translocation, i.e. states 1 and 3 of 16S RNA differ more from state 2 than from each other.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Translation of the prophage lambda cl transcript

Mutations in rpsB that reduce the levels of the ribosomal protein S2 enhance the translation of cl in lambda lysogens. Two features of the cl transcript are required for enhanced translation: the absence of a leader and the presence of a downstream box, a sequence within the cl coding region that is complementary to the 16S rRNA. 30S ribosomal subunits deficient in S2 form ternary complexes with the cl transcript more efficiently than wild-type subunits. The absence of S2 may change the structure of the 16S rRNA, improving contacts with the cl downstream box.

deaD, a new Escherichia coli gene encoding a presumed ATP-dependent RNA helicase, can suppress a mutation in rpsB, the gene encoding ribosomal protein S2

We have cloned and sequenced a new gene from Escherichia coli which encodes a 64-kDa protein. The inferred amino acid sequence of the protein shows remarkable similarity to eIF4A, a murine translation initiation factor that has an ATP-dependent RNA helicase activity and is a founding member of the D-E-A-D family of proteins (characterized by a conserved Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp motif). Our new gene, called deaD, was cloned as a gene dosage-dependent suppressor of temperature-sensitive mutations in rpsB, the gene encoding ribosomal protein S2. We suggest that the DeaD protein plays a hitherto unknown role in translation in E. coli.

Escherichia coli 3'-terminal 16S rRNA sequence modulated fidelity during translation

The ribosome is a central component of the protein synthetic apparatus. Although progress has been made in characterizing the functional role of many of the ribosomal proteins, the properties of ribosomal RNA and its role in ribosome structure and function are not well understood. To investigate the working properties of the highly conserved 3'-end of 16S rRNA, a site-specific deletion was made directly within the 16S rRNA molecule. The terminal deletion did not impair in vitro 30S subunit assembly, but the particles produced lost translational fidelity in an in vitro translation system primed with natural mRNA.

Electrostatic potential of macromolecules measured by pKa shift of a fluorophore. 1. The 3' terminus of 16S RNA

We have investigated the use of the pH-sensitive fluorescein label as a probe for electrostatic potential in macromolecules. The practicality of this technique is demonstrated by its application to the 16S RNA molecule. The dependence of the electrostatic potential upon ionic conditions and upon the presence of ribosomal proteins and the state of the RNA was studied. The combination of electrostatic and anisotropy data emphasizes the rôle of the 30S ribosomal proteins, rather than of the renaturation of the 16S RNA or the presence of the 50S subunit, in shaping the environment of the 3' terminus of the 16S RNA in the active ribosome.

Escherichia coli ribosomal protein S1 does not protect the 49-nucleotide 3' terminal cloacin fragment of 16 S rRNA from nuclease S1

Footprinting of ribosomal protein S1 on the 49-nucleotide 3' terminal cloacin DF13 fragment of 16 S rRNA at physiological ionic strength, pH and temperature yielded no detectable protection of any nucleotides from subsequent attack by the single strand specific nuclease S1, even at large excesses of ribosomal protein S1.

Cross-linking of initiation factor IF3 to Escherichia coli 30S ribosomal subunit by trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II): characterization of two cross-linking sites in 16S rRNA; a possible way of functioning for IF3

The initiation factor IF3 is platinated with trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) and cross-linked to Escherichia coli 30S ribosomal subunit. Two cross-linking sites are unambiguously identified on the 16S rRNA: a major one, in the region 819-859 in the central domain, and a minor one, in the region 1506-1529 in the 3'-terminal domain. Specific features of these sequences together with their particular location within the 30S subunit lead us to postulate a role for IF3, that conciliates topographical and functional observations made so far.

Long range RNA-RNA interactions in the 30 S ribosomal subunit of E. coli

We have attempted to identify long-range interactions in the tertiary structure of RNA in the E. coli 30 S ribosome. Native subunits were cleaved with ribonuclease and separated into nucleoprotein fragments which were deproteinized and fractionated into multi-oligonucleotide complexes under conditions intended to preserve RNA-RNA interactions. The final products were denatured by urea and heat and their constituent oligonucleotides resolved and sequenced. Many complexes contained complementary sequences known to be bound together in the RNA secondary structure, attesting to the validity of the technique. Other co-migrating oligonucleotides, not joined in the secondary structure, contained mutually complementary sequences in locations that allow base-pairing interaction without disrupting pre-existing secondary structure. In seven instances the complementary relationship was found to have been preserved during phylogenetic diversification.

Immunological studies of Escherichia coli mutants lacking one or two ribosomal proteins

A battery of immunological tests were used to investigate mutants which had been determined as lacking one or two ribosomal proteins on the basis of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels. Proteins which were confirmed as missing from the ribosome in one or more mutants were large subunit proteins L1, L15, L19, L24, L27, L28, L30 and L33 and small subunit proteins S1, S9, S17 and S20. Cross-reacting material (CRM) was also absent from the post-ribosomal supernatant except in the case of protein S1. Since mutants lacking protein L11 have been previously described, any one of 13 of the 52 ribosomal proteins can be missing. None of these 13 proteins, except S1, can therefore have an indispensable role in ribosome function or assembly. In several mutants in which a protein was not missing but altered, it was present as several moieties of differing charge and size.

The binding of ribosomal protein S1 to S1-depleted 30S and 70S ribosomes. A fluorescence anisotropy study of the effects of Mg2+

We have determined the equilibrium constants for the binding of AEDANS-labelled S1 to S1-depleted 30S and 70S ribosomes. For "tight" ribosomes, the association of S1 increases with the sixth power of Mg2+ concentration, but for 30S subunits and "loose" ribosomes, there is virtually no dependence of the association on Mg2+ over the same concentration range, 2-10 mM in Mg2+. The binding of S1 to 70S ribosomes at 10 mM Mg2+ is stabilized by 2 kcal/mol compared to the binding to 30S subunits. When intact S1 binds to tight ribosomes, the fluorescence anisotrophy is that for virtually complete rotational immobilization. The anisotropies vary considerably with the preparation and treatment of both S1 and ribosomes and these variations are detailed here. The results suggest the linkage of Mg2+-dependent conformational changes in the intact ribosomes, perhaps including rRNA, and the binding of S1.

Nuclease mapping of the secondary structure of the 49-nucleotide 3' terminal cloacin fragment of Escherichia coli 16s RNA and its interactions with initiation factor 3

Escherichia coli translational initiation factor 3 (IF3) may be crosslinked to the 3' end of 16S RNA in 30S ribosomal subunits. In order to determine the sequence to which IF3 may bind in vivo, samples of 5'-32P labelled 3' terminal 49-nucleotide fragment of 16S RNA were incubated 5 min. at 37 degrees in 40 mM Tris-HOAc, pH 7.4, 100 mM NaCl, 1 mM Mg (OAc)2, 1 mM ZnSO4, with or without IF3, then reacted a further 5 min with nuclease S1, RNase T1, or RNase A. Base pairing between the 5' and 3' legs of the fragment occurs in the absence of IF3, but is disrupted by IF3 binding. IF3 appears to protect some residues near the 5' end of the fragment (U1495, A1499, A1500, A1502, and A1503) from nuclease S1, and potentiates S1 attack on others (G1494, G1497, C1501, G1504, G1505, U1506, G1517, G1529, G1530, and C1533). A series of equimolar reactions at increasing dilution imply an association constant range of 1.4-7.0 X 10(7) M-1.

Escherichia coli kasugamycin dependence arising from mutation at the rpsI locus

Escherichia coli mutants with alterations in the electrophoretic mobility of ribosomal protein S9 were used to locate rpsI, the gene for this protein, on the linkage map. rpsI was located at about 70 min, roughly halfway between argG and fabE. It was very close to the gene for ribosomal protein L13, rplM. Another mutation at the rpsI locus gave rise to a phenotype of kasugamycin dependence and resistance. In this mutant, dependence on antibiotic came from kasugamycin being necessary to slow the rate of protein synthesis.

Ribosomal protein S1 associates with Escherichia coli ribosomal 30-S subunit by means of protein-protein interactions

Ribosomal proteins S1 when associated with the 30-S subunit does not interact with 16-S RNA but its binding is determined mostly by protein-protein interactions. These conclusions are based on the following data. 1. Ultraviolet irradiation (lambda = 254 nm) of the 30-S subunit does not result in the covalent cross-linking of S1 with 16-S RNA at irradiation doses up to 150 quanta/nucleotide, whereas the irradiation under the same conditions of S1 . polynucleotide complexes [S1 . poly(U), S1 . poly(A) and S1 . Q beta phage RNA] induces effective formation of polynucleotide-protein cross-links. 2. Mild treatment of 30-S subunits lacking S-1 with RNase A or with cobra venom endonuclease results in removal of 10--20% of the total nucleotide material but does not affect their sedimentation characteristics of their S1 binding capacity. 3. The association of S1 with S1-depleted 30-S subunits is insensitive to aurintricarboxylic acid, which is known as a strong inhibitor of complex formation between S1 and polynucleotides. 4. Mild trypsin treatment of S1-depleted 30-S subunits greatly reduces their S1 binding capacity.

Identification of homologous ribosomal proteins in HeLa cells and in Tetrahymena pyriformis. A study of proteins binding 5-S RNA and acidic proteins released from 40-S subunits by EDTA

Tetrahymena pyriformis 60-S ribosomal subunits treated with EDTA release a 7-S particle containing 5-S RNA and a 36000-Mr protein that is similar to mammalian 5-S-RNA-binding protein L5 in molecular weight, in two-dimensional acrylamide gel mobility, and in peptide pattern as generated by a simple, one-dimensional acrylamide gel technique. Human and T. pyriformis 40-S ribosomal subunits, treated with buffers lacking magnesium or containing EDTA, release varying amounts of two large acidic proteins. We have identified these released proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Identification of a 16-S RNA fragment crosslinked to protein S1 within Escherichia coli ribosomal 30-S subunits by the use of a crosslinking reagent: ethyl 4-azidobenzoylaminoacetimidate

The bifunctional reagent ethyl 4-azidobenzoylaminoacetimidate was used to crosslink specifically ribosomal protein S1 to 16-S RNA within 30-S subunits. The reagent was attached to isolated protein S1. The modified protein was reassociated with protein-S1-depleted 30-S subunits and then crosslinked to the RNA molecule. The covalently bound 16-S RNA-protein S1 complex was isolated and the RNA fragment C-U-A-A-C-G-C-G-U-U-A-A-G-U-C-G-A-C-C-G-C-C-U-G-G-G-G-A-G (positions 861-889) was characterized to be crosslinked to protein S1.

Speed-accuracy relationships during in vitro and in vivo protein biosynthesis

Poly U-directed incorporation of phenylalanine and leucine into polypeptide has been described in at least 50 papers since 1961. In general, high translation activities are associated with high accuracies, and vice-versa. Moreover, a vast body of independent experimental data (effect of ethanol, temperature, urea, aminoglycosides, etc... on protein synthesis) put together here suggests that, in many circumstances, speed and accuracy of elongation are correlated. This result is to be contrasted with the view that the speed and the fidelity of protein synthesis are two opposing parameters. In this report, recent experimental data on the nature and effect of ribosomal ambiguity (ram) and streptomycin resistance (Strr) mutations are reexamined. Models on the action of streptomycin and other misreading-inducing antibiotics, as well as long-standing ideas on the control of misreading in mammalian systems are critically evaluated. An explanation is provided for the long-befuddling data on the action of gentamicin.

Relationship between methylation of adenine near the 3' end of 16-S ribosomal RNA and the activity of 30-S ribosomal subunits

The relationship between methylation of adenine near the 3' end of 16-S ribosomal RNA and the activity of 30-S ribosomal subunits has been studied using 30-S subunits from kasugamycin-sensitive and kasugamycin-resistant bacteria. Analysis of the proteins of 30-S subunits by gel electrophoresis showed that the content of protein S1 in 30-S subunits from a kasugamycin-resistant strain was smaller than that in 30-S subunits from the parent strain. Although polyphenylalanine-synthetic activity of 30-S subunits from a kasugamycin-resistant strain previously methylated by a methylase purified from Escherichia Q13 was nearly equal to that of untreated 30-S subunits, both phenylalanine-synthetic activity and the content of protein S1 in the 30-S particles reconstituted from 23-S core particles and split proteins from the kasugamycin-resistant strain increased by prior methylation of 23-S core particles by the methylase. These results suggest that methylation of adenine near the 3' end of 16-S rRNA induces an increase of polypeptide-synthetic activity by the acceleration of binding of protein S1 to S1-depleted 30-S subunits.

Kasugamycin-dependent mutants of Escherichia coli

Kasugamycin-dependent mutants have been isolated from Escherichia coli B. They were obtained through mutagenesis with ethyl methane sulfonate or nitrosoguanidine in conjunction with an antibiotic underlay technique. In the case of nitrosoguanidine, dependent mutants were obtained at a frequency of about 3% of survivors growing up in the selection. In the case of ethyl methane sulfonate, the corresponding value was 1%. Nineteen mutants showing a kasugamycin-dependent phenotype were studied. In terms of response to various temperatures and antibiotic concentrations, they were very heterogeneous, although most fell into two general classes. Genetic analysis indicated that in at least some cases, the kasugamycin-dependent phenotype was the product of two mutations. Two-dimensional gel electropherograms revealed alterations in the ribosomal proteins of seven mutants. One mutant had an alteration in protein S13, and one had an alteration in protein L14. Three showed changes in protein S9. Each of two mutants had changes in two proteins, S18 and L11. Three of these mutants additionally had protein S18 occurring in a partly altered, partly unaltered form.