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Lewis AM, Fallon T, Dittemore GA, Sheppard K. Evolution and variation in amide aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis. IUBMB Life 2024. [PMID: 38391119 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The amide proteogenic amino acids, asparagine and glutamine, are two of the twenty amino acids used in translation by all known life. The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases for asparagine and glutamine, asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase and glutaminyl tRNA synthetase, evolved after the split in the last universal common ancestor of modern organisms. Before that split, life used two-step indirect pathways to synthesize asparagine and glutamine on their cognate tRNAs to form the aminoacyl-tRNA used in translation. These two-step pathways were retained throughout much of the bacterial and archaeal domains of life and eukaryotic organelles. The indirect routes use non-discriminating aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (non-discriminating aspartyl-tRNA synthetase and non-discriminating glutamyl-tRNA synthetase) to misaminoacylate the tRNA. The misaminoacylated tRNA formed is then transamidated into the amide aminoacyl-tRNA used in protein synthesis by tRNA-dependent amidotransferases (GatCAB and GatDE). The enzymes and tRNAs involved assemble into complexes known as transamidosomes to help maintain translational fidelity. These pathways have evolved to meet the varied cellular needs across a diverse set of organisms, leading to significant variation. In certain bacteria, the indirect pathways may provide a means to adapt to cellular stress by reducing the fidelity of protein synthesis. The retention of these indirect pathways versus acquisition of asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase and glutaminyl tRNA synthetase in lineages likely involves a complex interplay of the competing uses of glutamine and asparagine beyond translation, energetic costs, co-evolution between enzymes and tRNA, and involvement in stress response that await further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Lewis
- Chemistry Department, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, USA
| | - Trevor Fallon
- Chemistry Department, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, USA
| | | | - Kelly Sheppard
- Chemistry Department, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, USA
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2
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Yakobov N, Mahmoudi N, Grob G, Yokokawa D, Saga Y, Kushiro T, Worrell D, Roy H, Schaller H, Senger B, Huck L, Riera Gascon G, Becker HD, Fischer F. RNA-dependent synthesis of ergosteryl-3β-O-glycine in Ascomycota expands the diversity of steryl-amino acids. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101657. [PMID: 35131263 PMCID: PMC8913301 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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3
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Chen L, Tanimoto A, So BR, Bakhtina M, Magliery TJ, Wysocki VH, Musier-Forsyth K. Stoichiometry of triple-sieve tRNA editing complex ensures fidelity of aminoacyl-tRNA formation. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:929-940. [PMID: 30418624 PMCID: PMC6344894 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky1153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases catalyze the attachment of cognate amino acids onto tRNAs. To avoid mistranslation, editing mechanisms evolved to maintain tRNA aminoacylation fidelity. For instance, while rejecting the majority of non-cognate amino acids via discrimination in the synthetic active site, prolyl-tRNA synthetase (ProRS) misactivates and mischarges Ala and Cys, which are similar in size to cognate Pro. Ala-tRNAPro is specifically hydrolyzed by the editing domain of ProRS in cis, while YbaK, a free-standing editing domain, clears Cys-tRNAPro in trans. ProXp-ala is another editing domain that clears Ala-tRNAPro in trans. YbaK does not appear to possess tRNA specificity, readily deacylating Cys-tRNACysin vitro. We hypothesize that YbaK binds to ProRS to gain specificity for Cys-tRNAPro and avoid deacylation of Cys-tRNACys in the cell. Here, in vivo evidence for ProRS-YbaK interaction was obtained using a split-green fluorescent protein assay. Analytical ultracentrifugation and native mass spectrometry were used to investigate binary and ternary complex formation between ProRS, YbaK, and tRNAPro. Our combined results support the hypothesis that the specificity of YbaK toward Cys-tRNAPro is determined by the formation of a three-component complex with ProRS and tRNAPro and establish the stoichiometry of a 'triple-sieve' editing complex for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.,Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Akiko Tanimoto
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Byung Ran So
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Marina Bakhtina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.,Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Thomas J Magliery
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Vicki H Wysocki
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.,Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Karin Musier-Forsyth
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.,Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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4
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Structure of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa transamidosome reveals unique aspects of bacterial tRNA-dependent asparagine biosynthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 112:382-7. [PMID: 25548166 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1423314112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many prokaryotes lack a tRNA synthetase to attach asparagine to its cognate tRNA(Asn), and instead synthesize asparagine from tRNA(Asn)-bound aspartate. This conversion involves two enzymes: a nondiscriminating aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (ND-AspRS) that forms Asp-tRNA(Asn), and a heterotrimeric amidotransferase GatCAB that amidates Asp-tRNA(Asn) to form Asn-tRNA(Asn) for use in protein synthesis. ND-AspRS, GatCAB, and tRNA(Asn) may assemble in an ∼400-kDa complex, known as the Asn-transamidosome, which couples the two steps of asparagine biosynthesis in space and time to yield Asn-tRNA(Asn). We report the 3.7-Å resolution crystal structure of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Asn-transamidosome, which represents the most common machinery for asparagine biosynthesis in bacteria. We show that, in contrast to a previously described archaeal-type transamidosome, a bacteria-specific GAD domain of ND-AspRS provokes a principally new architecture of the complex. Both tRNA(Asn) molecules in the transamidosome simultaneously serve as substrates and scaffolds for the complex assembly. This architecture rationalizes an elevated dynamic and a greater turnover of ND-AspRS within bacterial-type transamidosomes, and possibly may explain a different evolutionary pathway of GatCAB in organisms with bacterial-type vs. archaeal-type Asn-transamidosomes. Importantly, because the two-step pathway for Asn-tRNA(Asn) formation evolutionarily preceded the direct attachment of Asn to tRNA(Asn), our structure also may reflect the mechanism by which asparagine was initially added to the genetic code.
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5
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Lorber B, Fischer F, Bailly M, Roy H, Kern D. Protein analysis by dynamic light scattering: methods and techniques for students. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION : A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2012; 40:372-82. [PMID: 23166025 DOI: 10.1002/bmb.20644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 07/23/2012] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyses are routinely used in biology laboratories to detect aggregates in macromolecular solutions, to determine the size of proteins, nucleic acids, and complexes or to monitor the binding of ligands. This article is written for graduate and undergraduate students with access to DLS and for faculty members who wish to incorporate DLS into a lab activity, a practical course or research. It reviews the basic concepts of light scattering measurements and addresses four critical aspects of the analysis and interpretation of DLS results. To ensure reproducible quantitative data, attention should be paid to controlling the preparation and handling of proteins or assemblies because variations in the state of aggregation, induced by minor changes in experimental condition or technique, might compromise DLS results and affect protein activity. Variables like temperature, solvent viscosity, and inter-particle interactions may also influence particle size determination. Every point is illustrated by case studies, including a commercially available albumin, a small RNA virus isolated from plants, as well as four soluble proteins and a ribonucleoprotein assembly purified and characterized by students in the frame of their master degree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Lorber
- Research team Traduction mitochondriale et pathologies, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IBMC, 15 rue René Descartes, F-67084 Strasbourg, France.
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6
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Saad NY, Schiel B, Brayé M, Heap JT, Minton NP, Dürre P, Becker HD. Riboswitch (T-box)-mediated control of tRNA-dependent amidation in Clostridium acetobutylicum rationalizes gene and pathway redundancy for asparagine and asparaginyl-trnaasn synthesis. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:20382-94. [PMID: 22505715 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.332304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Analysis of the Gram-positive Clostridium acetobutylicum genome reveals an inexplicable level of redundancy for the genes putatively involved in asparagine (Asn) and Asn-tRNA(Asn) synthesis. Besides a duplicated set of gatCAB tRNA-dependent amidotransferase genes, there is a triplication of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase genes and a duplication of asparagine synthetase B genes. This genomic landscape leads to the suspicion of the incoherent simultaneous use of the direct and indirect pathways of Asn and Asn-tRNA(Asn) formation. Through a combination of biochemical and genetic approaches, we show that C. acetobutylicum forms Asn and Asn-tRNA(Asn) by tRNA-dependent amidation. We demonstrate that an entire transamidation pathway composed of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase and one set of GatCAB genes is organized as an operon under the control of a tRNA(Asn)-dependent T-box riboswitch. Finally, our results suggest that this exceptional gene redundancy might be interconnected to control tRNA-dependent Asn synthesis, which in turn might be involved in controlling the metabolic switch from acidogenesis to solventogenesis in C. acetobutylicum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nizar Y Saad
- Unité Mixte de Recherche "Génétique Moléculaire, Génomique, Microbiologie," CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 21 rue René Descartes, 67084 Strasbourg, France
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7
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Waller JC, Ellens KW, Alvarez S, Loizeau K, Ravanel S, Hanson AD. Mitochondrial and plastidial COG0354 proteins have folate-dependent functions in iron-sulphur cluster metabolism. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2012; 63:403-11. [PMID: 21984653 PMCID: PMC3245475 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/err286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2011] [Revised: 08/04/2011] [Accepted: 08/12/2011] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
COG0354 proteins have been implicated in synthesis or repair of iron/sulfur (Fe/S) clusters in all domains of life, and those of bacteria, animals, and protists have been shown to require a tetrahydrofolate to function. Two COG0354 proteins were identified in Arabidopsis and many other plants, one (At4g12130) related to those of α-proteobacteria and predicted to be mitochondrial, the other (At1g60990) related to those of cyanobacteria and predicted to be plastidial. Grasses and poplar appear to lack the latter. The predicted subcellular locations of the Arabidopsis proteins were validated by in vitro import assays with purified pea organelles and by targeting assays in Arabidopsis and tobacco protoplasts using green fluorescent protein fusions. The At4g12130 protein was shown to be expressed mainly in flowers, siliques, and seeds, whereas the At1g60990 protein was expressed mainly in young leaves. The folate dependence of both Arabidopsis proteins was established by functional complementation of an Escherichia coli COG0354 (ygfZ) deletant; both plant genes restored in vivo activity of the Fe/S enzyme MiaB but restoration was abrogated when folates were eliminated by deleting folP. Insertional inactivation of At4g12130 was embryo lethal; this phenotype was reversed by genetic complementation of the mutant. These data establish that COG0354 proteins have a folate-dependent function in mitochondria and plastids, and that the mitochondrial protein is essential. That plants retain mitochondrial and plastidial COG0354 proteins with distinct phylogenetic origins emphasizes how deeply the extant Fe/S cluster assembly machinery still reflects the ancient endosymbioses that gave rise to plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C. Waller
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kenneth W. Ellens
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Sophie Alvarez
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO 63132, USA
| | - Karen Loizeau
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire Végétale, CNRS/CEA/INRA/Université Joseph Fourier, CEA-Grenoble, F-38054 Grenoble cedex 9, France
| | - Stéphane Ravanel
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire Végétale, CNRS/CEA/INRA/Université Joseph Fourier, CEA-Grenoble, F-38054 Grenoble cedex 9, France
| | - Andrew D. Hanson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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8
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Hasnain G, Waller JC, Alvarez S, Ravilious GE, Jez JM, Hanson AD. Mutational analysis of YgfZ, a folate-dependent protein implicated in iron/sulphur cluster metabolism. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2011; 326:168-72. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2011.02448.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2011] [Revised: 10/25/2011] [Accepted: 10/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ghulam Hasnain
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program; University of Florida; Gainesville; FL; USA
| | - Jeffrey C. Waller
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program; University of Florida; Gainesville; FL; USA
| | - Sophie Alvarez
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; St. Louis; MO; USA
| | | | - Joseph M. Jez
- Department of Biology; Washington University; St. Louis; MO; USA
| | - Andrew D. Hanson
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program; University of Florida; Gainesville; FL; USA
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9
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Evidence that the folate-dependent proteins YgfZ and MnmEG have opposing effects on growth and on activity of the iron-sulfur enzyme MiaB. J Bacteriol 2011; 194:362-7. [PMID: 22081392 DOI: 10.1128/jb.06226-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The folate-dependent protein YgfZ of Escherichia coli participates in the synthesis and repair of iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters; it belongs to a family of enzymes that use folate to capture formaldehyde units. Ablation of ygfZ is known to reduce growth, to increase sensitivity to oxidative stress, and to lower the activities of MiaB and other Fe-S enzymes. It has been reported that the growth phenotype can be suppressed by disrupting the tRNA modification gene mnmE. We first confirmed the latter observation using deletions in a simpler, more defined genetic background. We then showed that deleting mnmE substantially restores MiaB activity in ygfZ deletant cells and that overexpressing MnmE with its partner MnmG exacerbates the growth and MiaB activity phenotypes of the ygfZ deletant. MnmE, with MnmG, normally mediates a folate-dependent transfer of a formaldehyde unit to tRNA, and the MnmEG-mediated effects on the phenotypes of the ΔygfZ mutant apparently require folate, as evidenced by the effect of eliminating all folates by deleting folE. The expression of YgfZ was unaffected by deleting mnmE or overexpressing MnmEG or by folate status. Since formaldehyde transfer is a potential link between MnmEG and YgfZ, we inactivated formaldehyde detoxification by deleting frmA. This deletion had little effect on growth or MiaB activity in the ΔygfZ strain in the presence of formaldehyde, making it unlikely that formaldehyde alone connects the actions of MnmEG and YgfZ. A more plausible explanation is that MnmEG erroneously transfers a folate-bound formaldehyde unit to MiaB and that YgfZ reverses this.
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Huot JL, Fischer F, Corbeil J, Madore E, Lorber B, Diss G, Hendrickson TL, Kern D, Lapointe J. Gln-tRNAGln synthesis in a dynamic transamidosome from Helicobacter pylori, where GluRS2 hydrolyzes excess Glu-tRNAGln. Nucleic Acids Res 2011; 39:9306-15. [PMID: 21813455 PMCID: PMC3241645 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In many bacteria and archaea, an ancestral pathway is used where asparagine and glutamine are formed from their acidic precursors while covalently linked to tRNAAsn and tRNAGln, respectively. Stable complexes formed by the enzymes of these indirect tRNA aminoacylation pathways are found in several thermophilic organisms, and are called transamidosomes. We describe here a transamidosome forming Gln-tRNAGln in Helicobacter pylori, an ε-proteobacterium pathogenic for humans; this transamidosome displays novel properties that may be characteristic of mesophilic organisms. This ternary complex containing the non-canonical GluRS2 specific for Glu-tRNAGln formation, the tRNA-dependent amidotransferase GatCAB and tRNAGln was characterized by dynamic light scattering. Moreover, we observed by interferometry a weak interaction between GluRS2 and GatCAB (KD = 40 ± 5 µM). The kinetics of Glu-tRNAGln and Gln-tRNAGln formation indicate that conformational shifts inside the transamidosome allow the tRNAGln acceptor stem to interact alternately with GluRS2 and GatCAB despite their common identity elements. The integrity of this dynamic transamidosome depends on a critical concentration of tRNAGln, above which it dissociates into separate GatCAB/tRNAGln and GluRS2/tRNAGln complexes. Ester bond protection assays show that both enzymes display a good affinity for tRNAGln regardless of its aminoacylation state, and support a mechanism where GluRS2 can hydrolyze excess Glu-tRNAGln, ensuring faithful decoding of Gln codons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan L Huot
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-informatique, PROTEO et IBIS, Université Laval, 1045 av de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, Canada
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11
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Crystal structure of a transfer-ribonucleoprotein particle that promotes asparagine formation. EMBO J 2010; 29:3118-29. [PMID: 20717102 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2010.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2010] [Accepted: 07/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Four out of the 22 aminoacyl-tRNAs (aa-tRNAs) are systematically or alternatively synthesized by an indirect, two-step route requiring an initial mischarging of the tRNA followed by tRNA-dependent conversion of the non-cognate amino acid. During tRNA-dependent asparagine formation, tRNA(Asn) promotes assembly of a ribonucleoprotein particle called transamidosome that allows channelling of the aa-tRNA from non-discriminating aspartyl-tRNA synthetase active site to the GatCAB amidotransferase site. The crystal structure of the Thermus thermophilus transamidosome determined at 3 A resolution reveals a particle formed by two GatCABs, two dimeric ND-AspRSs and four tRNAs(Asn) molecules. In the complex, only two tRNAs are bound in a functional state, whereas the two other ones act as an RNA scaffold enabling release of the asparaginyl-tRNA(Asn) without dissociation of the complex. We propose that the crystal structure represents a transient state of the transamidation reaction. The transamidosome constitutes a transfer-ribonucleoprotein particle in which tRNAs serve the function of both substrate and structural foundation for a large molecular machine.
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Waller JC, Alvarez S, Naponelli V, Lara-Nuñez A, Blaby IK, Da Silva V, Ziemak MJ, Vickers TJ, Beverley SM, Edison AS, Rocca JR, Gregory JF, de Crécy-Lagard V, Hanson AD. A role for tetrahydrofolates in the metabolism of iron-sulfur clusters in all domains of life. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:10412-7. [PMID: 20489182 PMCID: PMC2890791 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0911586107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron-sulfur (Fe/S) cluster enzymes are crucial to life. Their assembly requires a suite of proteins, some of which are specific for particular subsets of Fe/S enzymes. One such protein is yeast Iba57p, which aconitase and certain radical S-adenosylmethionine enzymes require for activity. Iba57p homologs occur in all domains of life; they belong to the COG0354 protein family and are structurally similar to various folate-dependent enzymes. We therefore investigated the possible relationship between folates and Fe/S cluster enzymes using the Escherichia coli Iba57p homolog, YgfZ. NMR analysis confirmed that purified YgfZ showed stereoselective folate binding. Inactivating ygfZ reduced the activities of the Fe/S tRNA modification enzyme MiaB and certain other Fe/S enzymes, although not aconitase. When successive steps in folate biosynthesis were ablated, folE (lacking pterins and folates) and folP (lacking folates) mutants mimicked the ygfZ mutant in having low MiaB activities, whereas folE thyA mutants supplemented with 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (lacking pterins and depleted in dihydrofolate) and gcvP glyA mutants (lacking one-carbon tetrahydrofolates) had intermediate MiaB activities. These data indicate that YgfZ requires a folate, most probably tetrahydrofolate. Importantly, the ygfZ mutant was hypersensitive to oxidative stress and grew poorly on minimal media. COG0354 genes of bacterial, archaeal, fungal, protistan, animal, or plant origin complemented one or both of these growth phenotypes as well as the MiaB activity phenotype. Comparative genomic analysis indicated widespread functional associations between COG0354 proteins and Fe/S cluster metabolism. Thus COG0354 proteins have an ancient, conserved, folate-dependent function in the activity of certain Fe/S cluster enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sophie Alvarez
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, MO 63132; and
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Tim J. Vickers
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110
| | - Stephen M. Beverley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110
| | - Arthur S. Edison
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and
| | - James R. Rocca
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
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13
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Wu J, Bu W, Sheppard K, Kitabatake M, Kwon ST, Söll D, Smith JL. Insights into tRNA-dependent amidotransferase evolution and catalysis from the structure of the Aquifex aeolicus enzyme. J Mol Biol 2009; 391:703-16. [PMID: 19520089 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2009.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2009] [Revised: 04/16/2009] [Accepted: 06/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Many bacteria form Gln-tRNA(Gln) and Asn-tRNA(Asn) by conversion of the misacylated Glu-tRNA(Gln) and Asp-tRNA(Asn) species catalyzed by the GatCAB amidotransferase in the presence of ATP and an amide donor (glutamine or asparagine). Here, we report the crystal structures of GatCAB from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus, complexed with glutamine, asparagine, aspartate, ADP, or ATP. In contrast to the Staphylococcus aureus GatCAB, the A. aeolicus enzyme formed acyl-enzyme intermediates with either glutamine or asparagine, in line with the equally facile use by the amidotransferase of these amino acids as amide donors in the transamidation reaction. A water-filled ammonia channel is open throughout the length of the A. aeolicus GatCAB from the GatA active site to the synthetase catalytic pocket in the B-subunit. A non-catalytic Zn(2+) site in the A. aeolicus GatB stabilizes subunit contacts and the ammonia channel. Judged from sequence conservation in the known GatCAB sequences, the Zn(2+) binding motif was likely present in the primordial GatB/E, but became lost in certain lineages (e.g., S. aureus GatB). Two divalent metal binding sites, one permanent and the other transient, are present in the catalytic pocket of the A. aeolicus GatB. The two sites enable GatCAB to first phosphorylate the misacylated tRNA substrate and then amidate the activated intermediate to form the cognate products, Gln-tRNA(Gln) or Asn-tRNA(Asn).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wu
- Life Sciences Institute, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109, USA
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14
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Bailly M, Blaise M, Lorber B, Thirup S, Kern D. Isolation, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the transamidosome, a ribonucleoprotein involved in asparagine formation. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2009; 65:577-81. [PMID: 19478435 DOI: 10.1107/s1744309109015000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2009] [Accepted: 04/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Thermus thermophilus deprived of asparagine synthetase synthesizes Asn on tRNA(Asn) via a tRNA-dependent pathway involving a nondiscriminating aspartyl-tRNA synthetase that charges Asp onto tRNA(Asn) prior to conversion of the Asp to Asn by GatCAB, a tRNA-dependent amidotransferase. This pathway also constitutes the route of Asn-tRNA(Asn) formation by bacteria and archaea deprived of asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase. The partners involved in tRNA-dependent Asn formation in T. thermophilus assemble into a ternary complex called the transamidosome. This particule produces Asn-tRNA(Asn) in the presence of free Asp, ATP and an amido-group donor. Crystals of the transamidosome from T. thermophilus were obtained in the presence of PEG 4000 in MES-NaOH buffer pH 6.5. They belonged to the primitive monoclinic space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 115.9, b = 214.0, c = 127.8 A, beta = 93.3 degrees . A complete data set was collected to 3 A resolution. Here, the isolation and crystallization of the transamidosome from T. thermophilus and preliminary crystallographic data are reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Bailly
- UPR 9002 'Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN', Université de Strasbourg, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, 15 Rue René Descartes, F-67084 Strasbourg CEDEX, France
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Frechin M, Senger B, Brayé M, Kern D, Martin RP, Becker HD. Yeast mitochondrial Gln-tRNA(Gln) is generated by a GatFAB-mediated transamidation pathway involving Arc1p-controlled subcellular sorting of cytosolic GluRS. Genes Dev 2009; 23:1119-30. [PMID: 19417106 DOI: 10.1101/gad.518109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
It is impossible to predict which pathway, direct glutaminylation of tRNA(Gln) or tRNA-dependent transamidation of glutamyl-tRNA(Gln), generates mitochondrial glutaminyl-tRNA(Gln) for protein synthesis in a given species. The report that yeast mitochondria import both cytosolic glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase and tRNA(Gln) has challenged the widespread use of the transamidation pathway in organelles. Here we demonstrate that yeast mitochondrial glutaminyl-tRNA(Gln) is in fact generated by a transamidation pathway involving a novel type of trimeric tRNA-dependent amidotransferase (AdT). More surprising is the fact that cytosolic glutamyl-tRNA synthetase ((c)ERS) is imported into mitochondria, where it constitutes the mitochondrial nondiscriminating ERS that generates the mitochondrial mischarged glutamyl-tRNA(Gln) substrate for the AdT. We show that dual localization of (c)ERS is controlled by binding to Arc1p, a tRNA nuclear export cofactor that behaves as a cytosolic anchoring platform for (c)ERS. Expression of Arc1p is down-regulated when yeast cells are switched from fermentation to respiratory metabolism, thus allowing increased import of (c)ERS to satisfy a higher demand of mitochondrial glutaminyl-tRNA(Gln) for mitochondrial protein synthesis. This novel strategy that enables a single protein to be localized in both the cytosol and mitochondria provides a new paradigm for regulation of the dynamic subcellular distribution of proteins between membrane-separated compartments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Frechin
- UPR 9002, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg, France
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Fonvielle M, Chemama M, Villet R, Lecerf M, Bouhss A, Valéry JM, Ethève-Quelquejeu M, Arthur M. Aminoacyl-tRNA recognition by the FemXWv transferase for bacterial cell wall synthesis. Nucleic Acids Res 2009; 37:1589-601. [PMID: 19151092 PMCID: PMC2655667 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkn1039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transferases of the Fem family catalyse peptide-bond formation by using aminoacyl-tRNAs and peptidoglycan precursors as donor and acceptor substrates, respectively. The specificity of Fem transferases is essential since mis-incorporated amino acids could act as chain terminators thereby preventing formation of a functional stress-bearing peptidoglycan network. Here we have developed chemical acylation of RNA helices with natural and non-proteinogenic amino acids to gain insight into the specificity of the model transferase FemX(Wv). Combining modifications in the RNA and aminoacyl moieties of the donor substrate revealed that unfavourable interactions of FemX(Wv) with the acceptor arm of tRNA(Gly) and with L-Ser or larger residues quantitatively accounts for the preferential transfer of L-Ala observed with complete aminoacyl-tRNAs. The main FemX(Wv) identity determinant was identified as the penultimate base pair (G(2)-C(71)) of the acceptor arm instead of G(3)*U(70) for the alanyl-tRNA synthetase. FemX(Wv) tolerated a configuration inversion of the Calpha of L-Ala but not the introduction of a second methyl on this atom. These results indicate that aminoacyl-tRNA recognition by FemX(Wv) is distinct from other components of the translation machinery and relies on the exclusion of bulky amino acids and of the sequence of tRNA(Gly) from the active site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Fonvielle
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, LRMA, Equipe 12, INSERM, Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6, France
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Cathopoulis TJT, Chuawong P, Hendrickson TL. Conserved discrimination against misacylated tRNAs by two mesophilic elongation factor Tu orthologs. Biochemistry 2008; 47:7610-6. [PMID: 18627126 DOI: 10.1021/bi800369q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) binds and loads elongating aminoacyl-tRNAs (aa-tRNAs) onto the ribosome for protein biosynthesis. Many bacteria biosynthesize Gln-tRNA (Gln) and Asn-tRNA (Asn) by an indirect, two-step pathway that relies on the misacylated tRNAs Glu-tRNA (Gln) and Asp-tRNA (Asn) as intermediates. Previous thermodynamic and experimental analyses have demonstrated that Thermus thermophilus EF-Tu does not bind Asp-tRNA (Asn) and predicted a similar discriminatory response against Glu-tRNA (Gln) [Asahara, H., and Uhlenbeck, O. (2005) Biochemistry 46, 6194-6200; Roy, H., et al. (2007) Nucleic Acids Res. 35, 3420-3430]. By discriminating against these misacylated tRNAS, EF-Tu plays a direct role in preventing misincorporation of aspartate and glutamate into proteins at asparagine and glutamine codons. Here we report the characterization of two different mesophilic EF-Tu orthologs, one from Escherichia coli, a bacterium that does not utilize either Glu-tRNA (Gln) or Asp-tRNA (Asn), and the second from Helicobacter pylori, an organism in which both misacylated tRNAs are essential. Both EF-Tu orthologs discriminate against these misacylated tRNAs, confirming the prediction that Glu-tRNA (Gln), like Asp-tRNA (Asn), will not form a complex with EF-Tu. These results also demonstrate that the capacity of EF-Tu to discriminate against both of these aminoacyl-tRNAs is conserved even in bacteria like E. coli that do not generate either misacylated tRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry J T Cathopoulis
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
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Abstract
The accurate formation of cognate aminoacyl-transfer RNAs (aa-tRNAs) is essential for the fidelity of translation. Most amino acids are esterified onto their cognate tRNA isoacceptors directly by aa-tRNA synthetases. However, in the case of four amino acids (Gln, Asn, Cys and Sec), aminoacyl-tRNAs are made through indirect pathways in many organisms across all three domains of life. The process begins with the charging of noncognate amino acids to tRNAs by a specialized synthetase in the case of Cys-tRNA(Cys) formation or by synthetases with relaxed specificity, such as the non-discriminating glutamyl-tRNA, non-discriminating aspartyl-tRNA and seryl-tRNA synthetases. The resulting misacylated tRNAs are then converted to cognate pairs through transformation of the amino acids on the tRNA, which is catalyzed by a group of tRNA-dependent modifying enzymes, such as tRNA-dependent amidotransferases, Sep-tRNA:Cys-tRNA synthase, O-phosphoseryl-tRNA kinase and Sep-tRNA:Sec-tRNA synthase. The majority of these indirect pathways are widely spread in all domains of life and thought to be part of the evolutionary process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yuan
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8114, USA
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Dual-targeted tRNA-dependent amidotransferase ensures both mitochondrial and chloroplastic Gln-tRNAGln synthesis in plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:6481-5. [PMID: 18441100 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0712299105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aminoacyl-tRNAs are generally formed by direct attachment of an amino acid to tRNAs by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, but Gln-tRNA is an exception to this rule. Gln-tRNA(Gln) is formed by this direct pathway in the eukaryotic cytosol and in protists or fungi mitochondria but is formed by an indirect transamidation pathway in most of bacteria, archaea, and chloroplasts. We show here that the formation of Gln-tRNA(Gln) is also achieved by the indirect pathway in plant mitochondria. The mitochondrial-encoded tRNA(Gln), which is the only tRNA(Gln) present in mitochondria, is first charged with glutamate by a nondiscriminating GluRS, then is converted into Gln-tRNA(Gln) by a tRNA-dependent amidotransferase (AdT). The three subunits GatA, GatB, and GatC are imported into mitochondria and assemble into a functional GatCAB AdT. Moreover, the mitochondrial pathway of Gln-tRNA(Gln) formation is shared with chloroplasts as both the GluRS, and the three AdT subunits are dual-imported into mitochondria and chloroplasts.
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