The Enzymatic Methylation of Ribonucleic Acid and Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Characterization of S-adenosylmethionine: ribosomal ribonucleic acid-adenine (N 6 -) methyltransferase of Escherichia coli strain B

This study is concerned with the isolation and characterization of the enzyme, S-adenosylmethionine:ribosomal ribonucleic acid-adenine (N(6-)) methyl-transferase [rRNA-adenine (N(6)-) methylase] of Escherichia coli strain B, which is responsible for the formation of N(6)-methyladenine moieties in ribosomal ribonucleic acids (rRNA). A 1,500-fold purified preparation of the species-specific methyltransferase methylates a limited number of adenine moieties in heterologous rRNA (Micrococcus lysodeikticus and Bacillus subtilis) and methyl-deficient homologous rRNA. The site recognition mechanism does not require intact 16 or 23S rRNA. The enzyme does not utilize transfer ribonucleic acid as a methyl acceptor nor does it synthesize 2-methyladenine or N(6)-dimethyladenine moieties. Mg(2+), spermine, K(+), and Na(+) increase the reaction rate but not the extent of methylation; elevated concentrations of the cations inhibit markedly. The purified preparations utilize 9-beta-ribosyl-2,6-diaminopurine (DAPR) as a methyl acceptor with the synthesis of 9-beta-ribosyl-6-amino-2-methylaminopurine. A comparison of the two activities demonstrated that one methyltransferase is responsible for the methylation of both DAPR and rRNA. This property provides a sensitive assay procedure unaffected by ribonucleases and independent of any specificity exhibited by rRNA methyl acceptors.

In vivo suppression of coding associated with bacteriophage-induced S-adenosylmethionine hydrolase

The methylation of ribosomal and transfer ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesized after the induction of a hydrolase for S-adenosylmethionine by phage T3 infection is reducible to 50% of the methylation of RNA in uninfected cells. Hypomethylated ribosomal RNA is found in 70S particles that dissociate in 100 mum Mg(++) to yield only 30S and 50S subunits. By this criterion, the omitted methyl groups apparently are not required for ribosomal maturation or stability. The rate of production of alkaline phosphatase in a phosphatase amber mutant was examined after phage infection in the presence and in the absence of streptomycin to determine the effect on the translation process consequent to S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) hydrolase induction. Significant increases in the rates of phosphatase production were found when ultraviolet-inactivated T3 or streptomycin was added. The effects were cumulative when the cells were treated with both bacteriophage and the drug. Ultraviolet-inactivated T7, a phage closely related to T3 but which does not produce the SAM hydrolase, did not enhance the rate of alkaline phosphatase production. We suggest that the production of SAM hydrolase affects the stability of the translation process by the observed hypomethylation or by mechanisms concerning polyamine metabolism.