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Catalanotto C, Barbato C, Cogoni C, Benelli D. The RNA-Binding Function of Ribosomal Proteins and Ribosome Biogenesis Factors in Human Health and Disease. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2969. [PMID: 38001969 PMCID: PMC10669870 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11112969] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The ribosome is a macromolecular complex composed of RNA and proteins that interact through an integrated and interconnected network to preserve its ancient core activities. In this review, we emphasize the pivotal role played by RNA-binding proteins as a driving force in the evolution of the current form of the ribosome, underscoring their importance in ensuring accurate protein synthesis. This category of proteins includes both ribosomal proteins and ribosome biogenesis factors. Impairment of their RNA-binding activity can also lead to ribosomopathies, which is a group of disorders characterized by defects in ribosome biogenesis that are detrimental to protein synthesis and cellular homeostasis. A comprehensive understanding of these intricate processes is essential for elucidating the mechanisms underlying the resulting diseases and advancing potential therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Catalanotto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (C.C.)
| | - Christian Barbato
- National Research Council (CNR), Department of Sense Organs DOS, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC), Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Carlo Cogoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (C.C.)
| | - Dario Benelli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (C.C.)
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2
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Wang Y. Ribozyme synthesis of both L- and D- amino acid oligos. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.28.538729. [PMID: 37162832 PMCID: PMC10168322 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The ribosome is responsible for assembling proteins using 20 naturally occurring L-handed amino acids. However, incorporating non-natural amino acids into a protein is a challenging process needs improvement. In this study, we report a new possible approach to creating nonnatural peptides using ribozymes inspired by the peptidyl transfer center. These RNA scaffolds, which are approximately 100 nucleotides in length, bind to RNase T1 truncated tRNA-like chimeras and bring them into close proximity to facilitate peptide ligation. We used single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) to show close distances between RNA-RNA, tRNALys-tRNALys, and RNA-tRNALys pairs, which strongly suggests that the mechanism of peptide ligation is due to the proximity of the substrate through dimerization of the enzymes. Mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the detection of oligopeptides from four amino acids, including L-Lysine, D-Lysine, L-Phenylalanine, and D-Phenylalanine. These results indicate that ribozymes have greater flexibility in accommodating nonnatural amino acids. Our findings pave the way for potentially new avenues in the synthesis of nonnatural peptides, beyond the limitations of ribosomal peptide synthesis and other existing methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhong Wang
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
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3
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Modeling the ribosome as a bipartite graph. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0279455. [PMID: 36584020 PMCID: PMC9803165 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing mathematical representations of biological systems that can allow predictions is a challenging and important research goal. It is demonstrated here how the ribosome, the nano-machine responsible for synthesizing all proteins necessary for cellular life, can be represented as a bipartite network. Ten ribosomal structures from Bacteria and six from Eukarya are explored. Ribosomal networks are found to exhibit unique properties despite variations in the nodes and edges of the different graphs. The ribosome is shown to exhibit very large topological redundancies, demonstrating mathematical resiliency. These results can potentially explain how it can function consistently despite changes in composition and connectivity. Furthermore, this representation can be used to analyze ribosome function within the large machinery of network theory, where the degrees of freedom are the possible interactions, and can be used to provide new insights for translation regulation and therapeutics.
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4
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A Short Tale of the Origin of Proteins and Ribosome Evolution. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10112115. [DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10112115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins are the workhorses of the cell and have been key players throughout the evolution of all organisms, from the origin of life to the present era. How might life have originated from the prebiotic chemistry of early Earth? This is one of the most intriguing unsolved questions in biology. Currently, however, it is generally accepted that amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, were abiotically available on primitive Earth, which would have made the formation of early peptides in a similar fashion possible. Peptides are likely to have coevolved with ancestral forms of RNA. The ribosome is the most evident product of this coevolution process, a sophisticated nanomachine that performs the synthesis of proteins codified in genomes. In this general review, we explore the evolution of proteins from their peptide origins to their folding and regulation based on the example of superoxide dismutase (SOD1), a key enzyme in oxygen metabolism on modern Earth.
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Hassler HB, Probert B, Moore C, Lawson E, Jackson RW, Russell BT, Richards VP. Phylogenies of the 16S rRNA gene and its hypervariable regions lack concordance with core genome phylogenies. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:104. [PMID: 35799218 PMCID: PMC9264627 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01295-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The 16S rRNA gene is used extensively in bacterial phylogenetics, in species delineation, and now widely in microbiome studies. However, the gene suffers from intragenomic heterogeneity, and reports of recombination and an unreliable phylogenetic signal are accumulating. Here, we compare core gene phylogenies to phylogenies constructed using core gene concatenations to estimate the strength of signal for the 16S rRNA gene, its hypervariable regions, and all core genes at the intra- and inter-genus levels. Specifically, we perform four intra-genus analyses (Clostridium, n = 65; Legionella, n = 47; Staphylococcus, n = 36; and Campylobacter, n = 17) and one inter-genus analysis [41 core genera of the human gut microbiome (31 families, 17 orders, and 12 classes), n = 82]. RESULTS At both taxonomic levels, the 16S rRNA gene was recombinant and subject to horizontal gene transfer. At the intra-genus level, the gene showed one of the lowest levels of concordance with the core genome phylogeny (50.7% average). Concordance for hypervariable regions was lower still, with entropy masking providing little to no benefit. A major factor influencing concordance was SNP count, which showed a positive logarithmic association. Using this relationship, we determined that 690 ± 110 SNPs were required for 80% concordance (average 16S rRNA gene SNP count was 254). We also found a wide range in 16S-23S-5S rRNA operon copy number among genomes (1-27). At the inter-genus level, concordance for the whole 16S rRNA gene was markedly higher (73.8% - 10th out of 49 loci); however, the most concordant hypervariable regions (V4, V3-V4, and V1-V2) ranked in the third quartile (62.5 to 60.0%). CONCLUSIONS Ramifications of a poor phylogenetic performance for the 16S rRNA gene are far reaching. For example, in addition to incorrect species/strain delineation and phylogenetic inference, it has the potential to confound community diversity metrics if phylogenetic information is incorporated - for example, with popular approaches such as Faith's phylogenetic diversity and UniFrac. Our results highlight the problematic nature of these approaches and their use (along with entropy masking) is discouraged. Lastly, the wide range in 16S rRNA gene copy number among genomes also has a strong potential to confound diversity metrics. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley B. Hassler
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
| | - Brett Probert
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
| | - Carson Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
| | - Elizabeth Lawson
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
| | | | - Brook T. Russell
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
| | - Vincent P. Richards
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
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6
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Tirumalai MR, Rivas M, Tran Q, Fox GE. The Peptidyl Transferase Center: a Window to the Past. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2021; 85:e0010421. [PMID: 34756086 PMCID: PMC8579967 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00104-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In his 2001 article, "Translation: in retrospect and prospect," the late Carl Woese made a prescient observation that there was a need for the then-current view of translation to be "reformulated to become an all-embracing perspective about which 21st century Biology can develop" (RNA 7:1055-1067, 2001, https://doi.org/10.1017/s1355838201010615). The quest to decipher the origins of life and the road to the genetic code are both inextricably linked with the history of the ribosome. After over 60 years of research, significant progress in our understanding of how ribosomes work has been made. Particularly attractive is a model in which the ribosome may facilitate an ∼180° rotation of the CCA end of the tRNA from the A-site to the P-site while the acceptor stem of the tRNA would then undergo a translation from the A-site to the P-site. However, the central question of how the ribosome originated remains unresolved. Along the path from a primitive RNA world or an RNA-peptide world to a proto-ribosome world, the advent of the peptidyl transferase activity would have been a seminal event. This functionality is now housed within a local region of the large-subunit (LSU) rRNA, namely, the peptidyl transferase center (PTC). The PTC is responsible for peptide bond formation during protein synthesis and is usually considered to be the oldest part of the modern ribosome. What is frequently overlooked is that by examining the origins of the PTC itself, one is likely going back even further in time. In this regard, it has been proposed that the modern PTC originated from the association of two smaller RNAs that were once independent and now comprise a pseudosymmetric region in the modern PTC. Could such an association have survived? Recent studies have shown that the extant PTC is largely depleted of ribosomal protein interactions. It is other elements like metallic ion coordination and nonstandard base/base interactions that would have had to stabilize the association of RNAs. Here, we present a detailed review of the literature focused on the nature of the extant PTC and its proposed ancestor, the proto-ribosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhan R. Tirumalai
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Mario Rivas
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Quyen Tran
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - George E. Fox
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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7
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smFRET study of rRNA dimerization at the peptidyl transfer center. Biophys Chem 2021; 277:106657. [PMID: 34303893 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2021.106657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The ribosome is a ribozyme. At the peptidyl transfer center (PTC) of 180 nt, two loops (the A- and P- loops) bind to tRNAs and position them in close proximity for efficient peptidyl ligation. There is also a 2-fold rotational symmetry in the PTC, which suggests that the precursor of the modern ribosome possibly emerged through dimerization and gene fusion. However, experiments that demonstrate the possible dimerization have not yet been published. In our investigation, we reported single molecule FRET studies of two RNA fragments that generated high FRET values. By dye-labeling the 5'-biotinylated rRNA molecules at the 3'- terminals, or labeling three different types of tRNA-like oligos, we observed that RNA scaffolds can assemble and bring several short tRNA-acceptor-domain analogs, but not full-length tRNAs, to close proximity. Mg2+ and continuous 3-way junction motifs are essential to this process, but amino acid charging to the tRNA analogs is not required. We observed RNA dimers via native gel-shifting experiments. These experiments support the possible existence of a proto-ribosome in the form of an RNA dimer or multimer.
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8
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Wang W, Zhu Y, Abraham N, Li XZ, Kimber M, Zhou T. The Ribosome-Binding Mode of Trichothecene Mycotoxins Rationalizes Their Structure-Activity Relationships. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1604. [PMID: 33562610 PMCID: PMC7914836 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichothecenes are the most prevalent mycotoxins contaminating cereal grains. Some of them are also considered as the virulence factors of Fusarium head blight disease. However, the mechanism behind the structure-activity relationship for trichothecenes remains unexplained. Filling this information gap is a crucial step for developing strategies to manage this large family of mycotoxins in food and feed. Here, we perform an in-depth re-examination of the existing structures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ribosome complexed with three different trichothecenes. Multiple binding interactions between trichothecenes and 25S rRNA, including hydrogen bonds, nonpolar pi stacking interactions and metal ion coordination interactions, are identified as important binding determinants. These interactions are mainly contributed by the key structural elements to the toxicity of trichothecenes, including the oxygen in the 12,13-epoxide ring and a double bond between C9 and C10. In addition, the C3-OH group also participates in binding. The comparison of three trichothecenes binding to the ribosome, along with their binding pocket architecture, suggests that the substitutions at different positions impact trichothecenes binding in two different patterns. Moreover, the binding of trichothecenes induced conformation changes of several nucleotide bases in 25S rRNA. This then provides a structural framework for understanding the structure-activity relationships apparent in trichothecenes. This study will facilitate the development of strategies aimed at detoxifying mycotoxins in food and feed and at improving the resistance of cereal crops to Fusarium fungal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijun Wang
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (W.W.); (Y.Z.); (N.A.); (X.-Z.L.)
| | - Yan Zhu
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (W.W.); (Y.Z.); (N.A.); (X.-Z.L.)
| | - Nadine Abraham
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (W.W.); (Y.Z.); (N.A.); (X.-Z.L.)
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Xiu-Zhen Li
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (W.W.); (Y.Z.); (N.A.); (X.-Z.L.)
| | - Matthew Kimber
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Ting Zhou
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (W.W.); (Y.Z.); (N.A.); (X.-Z.L.)
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9
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Hennig O, Philipp S, Bonin S, Rollet K, Kolberg T, Jühling T, Betat H, Sauter C, Mörl M. Adaptation of the Romanomermis culicivorax CCA-Adding Enzyme to Miniaturized Armless tRNA Substrates. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E9047. [PMID: 33260740 PMCID: PMC7730189 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial genome of the nematode Romanomermis culicivorax encodes for miniaturized hairpin-like tRNA molecules that lack D- as well as T-arms, strongly deviating from the consensus cloverleaf. The single tRNA nucleotidyltransferase of this organism is fully active on armless tRNAs, while the human counterpart is not able to add a complete CCA-end. Transplanting single regions of the Romanomermis enzyme into the human counterpart, we identified a beta-turn element of the catalytic core that-when inserted into the human enzyme-confers full CCA-adding activity on armless tRNAs. This region, originally identified to position the 3'-end of the tRNA primer in the catalytic core, dramatically increases the enzyme's substrate affinity. While conventional tRNA substrates bind to the enzyme by interactions with the T-arm, this is not possible in the case of armless tRNAs, and the strong contribution of the beta-turn compensates for an otherwise too weak interaction required for the addition of a complete CCA-terminus. This compensation demonstrates the remarkable evolutionary plasticity of the catalytic core elements of this enzyme to adapt to unconventional tRNA substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Hennig
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (O.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (K.R.); (T.K.); (T.J.); (H.B.)
| | - Susanne Philipp
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (O.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (K.R.); (T.K.); (T.J.); (H.B.)
| | - Sonja Bonin
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (O.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (K.R.); (T.K.); (T.J.); (H.B.)
| | - Kévin Rollet
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (O.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (K.R.); (T.K.); (T.J.); (H.B.)
- Architecture et Réactivité de l’ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IBMC, 67084 Strasbourg, France;
| | - Tim Kolberg
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (O.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (K.R.); (T.K.); (T.J.); (H.B.)
| | - Tina Jühling
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (O.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (K.R.); (T.K.); (T.J.); (H.B.)
- Architecture et Réactivité de l’ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IBMC, 67084 Strasbourg, France;
| | - Heike Betat
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (O.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (K.R.); (T.K.); (T.J.); (H.B.)
| | - Claude Sauter
- Architecture et Réactivité de l’ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IBMC, 67084 Strasbourg, France;
| | - Mario Mörl
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (O.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (K.R.); (T.K.); (T.J.); (H.B.)
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10
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Bowman JC, Petrov AS, Frenkel-Pinter M, Penev PI, Williams LD. Root of the Tree: The Significance, Evolution, and Origins of the Ribosome. Chem Rev 2020; 120:4848-4878. [PMID: 32374986 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The ribosome is an ancient molecular fossil that provides a telescope to the origins of life. Made from RNA and protein, the ribosome translates mRNA to coded protein in all living systems. Universality, economy, centrality and antiquity are ingrained in translation. The translation machinery dominates the set of genes that are shared as orthologues across the tree of life. The lineage of the translation system defines the universal tree of life. The function of a ribosome is to build ribosomes; to accomplish this task, ribosomes make ribosomal proteins, polymerases, enzymes, and signaling proteins. Every coded protein ever produced by life on Earth has passed through the exit tunnel, which is the birth canal of biology. During the root phase of the tree of life, before the last common ancestor of life (LUCA), exit tunnel evolution is dominant and unremitting. Protein folding coevolved with evolution of the exit tunnel. The ribosome shows that protein folding initiated with intrinsic disorder, supported through a short, primitive exit tunnel. Folding progressed to thermodynamically stable β-structures and then to kinetically trapped α-structures. The latter were enabled by a long, mature exit tunnel that partially offset the general thermodynamic tendency of all polypeptides to form β-sheets. RNA chaperoned the evolution of protein folding from the very beginning. The universal common core of the ribosome, with a mass of nearly 2 million Daltons, was finalized by LUCA. The ribosome entered stasis after LUCA and remained in that state for billions of years. Bacterial ribosomes never left stasis. Archaeal ribosomes have remained near stasis, except for the superphylum Asgard, which has accreted rRNA post LUCA. Eukaryotic ribosomes in some lineages appear to be logarithmically accreting rRNA over the last billion years. Ribosomal expansion in Asgard and Eukarya has been incremental and iterative, without substantial remodeling of pre-existing basal structures. The ribosome preserves information on its history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Bowman
- Center for the Origins of Life, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Anton S Petrov
- Center for the Origins of Life, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Moran Frenkel-Pinter
- Center for the Origins of Life, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Petar I Penev
- Center for the Origins of Life, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- Center for the Origins of Life, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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11
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Ling J, Fan C, Qin H, Wang M, Chen J, Wittung‐Stafshede P, Zhu TF. Mirror‐Image 5S Ribonucleoprotein Complexes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201914799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jun‐Jie Ling
- School of Life SciencesTsinghua-Peking Center for Life SciencesBeijing Frontier Research Center for Biological StructureCenter for Synthetic and Systems BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of BioinformaticsTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Chuyao Fan
- School of Life SciencesTsinghua-Peking Center for Life SciencesBeijing Frontier Research Center for Biological StructureCenter for Synthetic and Systems BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of BioinformaticsTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Hong Qin
- School of Life SciencesTsinghua-Peking Center for Life SciencesBeijing Frontier Research Center for Biological StructureCenter for Synthetic and Systems BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of BioinformaticsTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Min Wang
- School of Life SciencesTsinghua-Peking Center for Life SciencesBeijing Frontier Research Center for Biological StructureCenter for Synthetic and Systems BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of BioinformaticsTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Ji Chen
- School of Life SciencesTsinghua-Peking Center for Life SciencesBeijing Frontier Research Center for Biological StructureCenter for Synthetic and Systems BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of BioinformaticsTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Pernilla Wittung‐Stafshede
- Chemical Biology DivisionDepartment of Biology and Biological EngineeringChalmers University of Technology 41296 Gothenburg Sweden
| | - Ting F. Zhu
- School of Life SciencesTsinghua-Peking Center for Life SciencesBeijing Frontier Research Center for Biological StructureCenter for Synthetic and Systems BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical BiologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of BioinformaticsTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
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12
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Ling JJ, Fan C, Qin H, Wang M, Chen J, Wittung-Stafshede P, Zhu TF. Mirror-Image 5S Ribonucleoprotein Complexes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:3724-3731. [PMID: 31841243 PMCID: PMC7217020 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201914799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
After realizing mirror‐image genetic replication, transcription, and reverse transcription, the biggest challenge in establishing a mirror‐image version of the central dogma is to build a mirror‐image ribosome‐based translation machine. Here, we chemically synthesized the natural and mirror‐image versions of three ribosomal proteins (L5, L18, and L25) in the large subunit of the Escherichia coli ribosome with post‐translational modifications. We show that the synthetic mirror‐image proteins can fold in vitro despite limited efficiency and assemble with enzymatically transcribed mirror‐image 5S ribosomal RNA into ribonucleoprotein complexes. In addition, the RNA–protein interactions are chiral‐specific in that the mirror‐image ribosomal proteins do not bind with natural 5S ribosomal RNA and vice versa. The synthesis and assembly of mirror‐image 5S ribonucleoprotein complexes are important steps towards building a functional mirror‐image ribosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Jie Ling
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chuyao Fan
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hong Qin
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Min Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Ji Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede
- Chemical Biology Division, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ting F Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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13
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Abstract
The ribosome and RNase P are cellular ribonucleoprotein complexes that perform peptide bond synthesis and phosphodiester bond cleavage, respectively. Both are ancient biological assemblies that were already present in the last universal common ancestor of all life. The large subunit rRNA in the ribosome and the RNA subunit of RNase P are the ribozyme components required for catalysis. Here, we explore the idea that these two large ribozymes may have begun their evolutionary odyssey as an assemblage of RNA "fragments" smaller than the contemporary full-length versions and that they transitioned through distinct stages along a pathway that may also be relevant for the evolution of other non-coding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Gray
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Venkat Gopalan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210.
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14
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Dao Duc K, Batra SS, Bhattacharya N, Cate JHD, Song YS. Differences in the path to exit the ribosome across the three domains of life. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:4198-4210. [PMID: 30805621 PMCID: PMC6486554 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ribosome exit tunnel is an important structure involved in the regulation of translation and other essential functions such as protein folding. By comparing 20 recently obtained cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography structures of the ribosome from all three domains of life, we here characterize the key similarities and differences of the tunnel across species. We first show that a hierarchical clustering of tunnel shapes closely reflects the species phylogeny. Then, by analyzing the ribosomal RNAs and proteins, we explain the observed geometric variations and show direct association between the conservations of the geometry, structure and sequence. We find that the tunnel is more conserved in the upper part close to the polypeptide transferase center, while in the lower part, it is substantially narrower in eukaryotes than in bacteria. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the existence of a second constriction site in eukaryotic exit tunnels. Overall, these results have several evolutionary and functional implications, which explain certain differences between eukaryotes and prokaryotes in their translation mechanisms. In particular, they suggest that major co-translational functions of bacterial tunnels were externalized in eukaryotes, while reducing the tunnel size provided some other advantages, such as facilitating the nascent chain elongation and enabling antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khanh Dao Duc
- Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sanjit S Batra
- Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Jamie H D Cate
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Yun S Song
- Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Department of Statistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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15
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Voronova AN, Chelomina GN. The SSU rRNA secondary structures of the Plagiorchiida species (Digenea), its applications in systematics and evolutionary inferences. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2019; 78:104042. [PMID: 31770596 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.104042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) is widely used phylogenetic marker in broad groups of organisms and its secondary structure increasingly attracts the attention of researchers as supplementary tool in sequence alignment and advanced phylogenetic studies. Its comparative analysis provides a great contribution to evolutionary biology, allowing find out how the SSU rRNA secondary structure originated, developed and evolved. Herein, we provide the first data on the putative SSU rRNA secondary structures of the Plagiorchiida species. The structures were found to be quite conserved across broad range of species studied, well compatible with those of others eukaryotic SSU rRNA and possessed some peculiarities: cross-shaped structure of the ES6b, additional shortened ES6c2 helix, and elongated ES6a helix and h39 + ES9 region. The secondary structures of variable regions ES3 and ES7 appeared to be tissue-specific while ES6 and ES9 were specific at a family level allowing considering them as promising markers for digenean systematics. Their uniqueness more depends on the length than on the nucleotide diversity of primary sequences which evolutionary rates well differ. The findings have important implications for understanding rRNA evolution, developing molecular taxonomy and systematics of Plagiorchiida as well as for constructing new anthelmintic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- A N Voronova
- Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity FEB RAS, 7 Russia, 100-letiya Street, 159, Vladivostok 690022, Russia
| | - G N Chelomina
- Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity FEB RAS, 7 Russia, 100-letiya Street, 159, Vladivostok 690022, Russia.
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16
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Bernier CR, Petrov AS, Kovacs NA, Penev PI, Williams LD. Translation: The Universal Structural Core of Life. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:2065-2076. [PMID: 29788252 PMCID: PMC6063299 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The Universal Gene Set of Life (UGSL) is common to genomes of all extant organisms. The UGSL is small, consisting of <100 genes, and is dominated by genes encoding the translation system. Here we extend the search for biological universality to three dimensions. We characterize and quantitate the universality of structure of macromolecules that are common to all of life. We determine that around 90% of prokaryotic ribosomal RNA (rRNA) forms a common core, which is the structural and functional foundation of rRNAs of all cytoplasmic ribosomes. We have established a database, which we call the Sparse and Efficient Representation of the Extant Biology (the SEREB database). This database contains complete and cross-validated rRNA sequences of species chosen, as far as possible, to sparsely and efficiently sample all known phyla. Atomic-resolution structures of ribosomes provide data for structural comparison and validation of sequence-based models. We developed a similarity statistic called pairing adjusted sequence entropy, which characterizes paired nucleotides by their adherence to covariation and unpaired nucleotides by conventional conservation of identity. For canonically paired nucleotides the unit of structure is the nucleotide pair. For unpaired nucleotides, the unit of structure is the nucleotide. By quantitatively defining the common core of rRNA, we systematize the conservation and divergence of the translational system across the tree of life, and can begin to understand the unique evolutionary pressures that cause its universality. We explore the relationship between ribosomal size and diversity, geological time, and organismal complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad R Bernier
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Anton S Petrov
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Nicholas A Kovacs
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Petar I Penev
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
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17
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Zhang L, Wang W, Zhu B, Wang X. Regulatory Roles of Mitochondrial Ribosome in Lung Diseases and Single Cell Biology. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1038:183-200. [PMID: 29178077 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-6674-0_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The mitochondria have the most vital processes in eukaryotic cells to produce ATP composed of polypeptides that are produced via ribosomes, as oxidative phosphorylation. Initially, studies regarding human mitochondrial ribosomes were performed in the model system, bovine mitochondrial ribosome, to investigate how ribosomes are biosynthesized and evolved as well as what their structure and function are. Advances in X-ray crystallography have led to dramatic progresses in structural studies of the ribosome. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the properties of the mitochondrial ribosome. Although one of its main functions is the production of ATP, it was also linked to multiple diseases. A key area that remains unexplored and requires investigation and exploration is how mitochondrial ribosomal RNA (mt-rRNA) variations can affect the mitochondrial ribosomes in developing disease. This review summarizes the structure, elements, functions, and regulatory roles in associated diseases. With the continuous development of technology, studies on the mechanism of mitochondrial ribosome related diseases are crucial, in order to identify methods of prevention and treatment of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Zhang
- Zhongshan Hospital Institute of Clinical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - William Wang
- Zhongshan Hospital Institute of Clinical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Bijun Zhu
- Zhongshan Hospital Institute of Clinical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiangdong Wang
- Zhongshan Hospital Institute of Clinical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China.
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18
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Identification of potential allosteric communication pathways between functional sites of the bacterial ribosome by graph and elastic network models. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2017; 1861:3131-3141. [PMID: 28917952 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulated evidence indicates that bacterial ribosome employs allostery throughout its structure for protein synthesis. The nature of the allosteric communication between remote functional sites remains unclear, but the contact topology and dynamics of residues may play role in transmission of a perturbation to distant sites. METHODS/RESULTS We employ two computationally efficient approaches - graph and elastic network modeling to gain insights about the allosteric communication in ribosome. Using graph representation of the structure, we perform k-shortest pathways analysis between peptidyl transferase center-ribosomal tunnel, decoding center-peptidyl transferase center - previously reported functional sites having allosteric communication. Detailed analysis on intact structures points to common and alternative shortest pathways preferred by different states of translation. All shortest pathways capture drug target sites and allosterically important regions. Elastic network model further reveals that residues along all pathways have the ability of quickly establishing pair-wise communication and to help the propagation of a perturbation in long-ranges during functional motions of the complex. CONCLUSIONS Contact topology and inherent dynamics of ribosome configure potential communication pathways between functional sites in different translation states. Inter-subunit bridges B2a, B3 and P-tRNA come forward for their high potential in assisting allostery during translation. Especially B3 emerges as a potential druggable site. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE This study indicates that the ribosome topology forms a basis for allosteric communication, which can be disrupted by novel drugs to kill drug-resistant bacteria. Our computationally efficient approach not only overlaps with experimental evidence on allosteric regulation in ribosome but also proposes new druggable sites.
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19
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Sciuto K, Moro I. Detection of the new cosmopolitan genus Thermoleptolyngbya (Cyanobacteria, Leptolyngbyaceae) using the 16S rRNA gene and 16S-23S ITS region. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 105:15-35. [PMID: 27546720 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are widespread prokaryotes that are able to live in extreme conditions such as thermal springs. Strains attributable to the genus Leptolyngbya are among the most common cyanobacteria sampled from thermal environments. Leptolyngbya is a character-poor taxon that was demonstrated to be polyphyletic based on molecular analyses. The recent joining of 16S rRNA gene phylogenies with 16S-23S ITS secondary structure analysis is a useful approach to detect new cryptic taxa and has led to the separation of new genera from Leptolyngbya and to the description of new species inside this genus and in other related groups. In this study, phylogenetic investigations based on both the 16S rRNA gene and the 16S-23S ITS region were performed alongside 16S rRNA and 16S-23S ITS secondary structure analyses on cyanobacteria of the family Leptolyngbyaceae. These analyses focused on filamentous strains sampled from thermal springs with a morphology ascribable to the genus Leptolyngbya. The phylogenetic reconstructions showed that the Leptolyngbya-like thermal strains grouped into a monophyletic lineage that was distinct from Leptolyngbya. The 16S-23S ITS secondary structure results supported the separation of this cluster. A new genus named Thermoleptolyngbya was erected to encompass these strains, and two species were described inside this new taxon: T. albertanoae and T. oregonensis.
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MESH Headings
- Base Sequence
- Cyanobacteria/classification
- Cyanobacteria/genetics
- Cyanobacteria/ultrastructure
- DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics
- Ecosystem
- Geography
- Nucleic Acid Conformation
- Phylogeny
- RNA, Bacterial/chemistry
- RNA, Bacterial/genetics
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/chemistry
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
- RNA, Ribosomal, 23S/chemistry
- RNA, Ribosomal, 23S/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Sciuto
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Isabella Moro
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
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20
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Zheng M, Wang Y, Liu X, Sun J, Wang Y, Xu Y, Lv J, Long W, Zhu X, Guo X, Jiang L, Wang C, Wan J. The RICE MINUTE-LIKE1 (RML1) gene, encoding a ribosomal large subunit protein L3B, regulates leaf morphology and plant architecture in rice. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:3457-69. [PMID: 27241493 PMCID: PMC4939763 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Mutations of ribosomal proteins (RPs) are known to cause developmental abnormalities in yeast, mammals, and dicotyledonous plants; however, their effects have not been studied in rice. Here, we identifiy a ribosomal biogenesis mutant, rice minute-like1 (rml1) that displays a minute phenotype as evidenced by retarded growth and defects in the vascular system. We determine that RML1 encodes a ribosome large subunit protein 3B (RPL3B) in rice by means of map-based cloning and genetic complementation. RPL3B is abundantly expressed in all the tissues, whereas RPL3A, another RPL3 gene family member, is expressed at low levels. Notably, the expression level of RPL3A in the rml1 mutant is similar to that in the wild-type, suggesting that RPL3A provides no functional compensation for RPL3B in rml1 plants. Ribosomal profiles show that mutation of RPL3B leads to a significant reduction in free 60S ribosomal subunits and polysomes, indicating a ribosomal insufficiency in the rml1 mutant. Our results demonstrate that the ribosomal protein gene RPL3B is required for maintaining normal leaf morphology and plant architecture in rice through its regulation of ribosome biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Yihua Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Xi Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Juan Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Yunlong Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Yang Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Jia Lv
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Wuhua Long
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Xiaopin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Xiuping Guo
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
| | - Ling Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Chunming Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Jianmin Wan
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
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21
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Gil R, Peretó J. Small genomes and the difficulty to define minimal translation and metabolic machineries. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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22
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Doris SM, Smith DR, Beamesderfer JN, Raphael BJ, Nathanson JA, Gerbi SA. Universal and domain-specific sequences in 23S-28S ribosomal RNA identified by computational phylogenetics. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2015; 21:1719-1730. [PMID: 26283689 PMCID: PMC4574749 DOI: 10.1261/rna.051144.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Comparative analysis of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences has elucidated phylogenetic relationships. However, this powerful approach has not been fully exploited to address ribosome function. Here we identify stretches of evolutionarily conserved sequences, which correspond with regions of high functional importance. For this, we developed a structurally aligned database, FLORA (full-length organismal rRNA alignment) to identify highly conserved nucleotide elements (CNEs) in 23S-28S rRNA from each phylogenetic domain (Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea). Universal CNEs (uCNEs) are conserved in sequence and structural position in all three domains. Those in regions known to be essential for translation validate our approach. Importantly, some uCNEs reside in areas of unknown function, thus identifying novel sequences of likely great importance. In contrast to uCNEs, domain-specific CNEs (dsCNEs) are conserved in just one phylogenetic domain. This is the first report of conserved sequence elements in rRNA that are domain-specific; they are largely a eukaryotic phenomenon. The locations of the eukaryotic dsCNEs within the structure of the ribosome suggest they may function in nascent polypeptide transit through the ribosome tunnel and in tRNA exit from the ribosome. Our findings provide insights and a resource for ribosome function studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Doris
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Deborah R Smith
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Julia N Beamesderfer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Benjamin J Raphael
- Department of Computer Science and Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Judith A Nathanson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Susan A Gerbi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
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23
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Caetano-Anollés G, Caetano-Anollés D. Computing the origin and evolution of the ribosome from its structure - Uncovering processes of macromolecular accretion benefiting synthetic biology. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2015; 13:427-47. [PMID: 27096056 PMCID: PMC4823900 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Accretion occurs pervasively in nature at widely different timeframes. The process also manifests in the evolution of macromolecules. Here we review recent computational and structural biology studies of evolutionary accretion that make use of the ideographic (historical, retrodictive) and nomothetic (universal, predictive) scientific frameworks. Computational studies uncover explicit timelines of accretion of structural parts in molecular repertoires and molecules. Phylogenetic trees of protein structural domains and proteomes and their molecular functions were built from a genomic census of millions of encoded proteins and associated terminal Gene Ontology terms. Trees reveal a ‘metabolic-first’ origin of proteins, the late development of translation, and a patchwork distribution of proteins in biological networks mediated by molecular recruitment. Similarly, the natural history of ancient RNA molecules inferred from trees of molecular substructures built from a census of molecular features shows patchwork-like accretion patterns. Ideographic analyses of ribosomal history uncover the early appearance of structures supporting mRNA decoding and tRNA translocation, the coevolution of ribosomal proteins and RNA, and a first evolutionary transition that brings ribosomal subunits together into a processive protein biosynthetic complex. Nomothetic structural biology studies of tertiary interactions and ancient insertions in rRNA complement these findings, once concentric layering assumptions are removed. Patterns of coaxial helical stacking reveal a frustrated dynamics of outward and inward ribosomal growth possibly mediated by structural grafting. The early rise of the ribosomal ‘turnstile’ suggests an evolutionary transition in natural biological computation. Results make explicit the need to understand processes of molecular growth and information transfer of macromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Caetano-Anollés
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1101W. Peabody Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; C.R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Derek Caetano-Anollés
- C.R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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24
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Mallik S, Akashi H, Kundu S. Assembly constraints drive co-evolution among ribosomal constituents. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:5352-63. [PMID: 25956649 PMCID: PMC4477670 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribosome biogenesis, a central and essential cellular process, occurs through sequential association and mutual co-folding of protein-RNA constituents in a well-defined assembly pathway. Here, we construct a network of co-evolving nucleotide/amino acid residues within the ribosome and demonstrate that assembly constraints are strong predictors of co-evolutionary patterns. Predictors of co-evolution include a wide spectrum of structural reconstitution events, such as cooperativity phenomenon, protein-induced rRNA reconstitutions, molecular packing of different rRNA domains, protein-rRNA recognition, etc. A correlation between folding rate of small globular proteins and their topological features is known. We have introduced an analogous topological characteristic for co-evolutionary network of ribosome, which allows us to differentiate between rRNA regions subjected to rapid reconstitutions from those hindered by kinetic traps. Furthermore, co-evolutionary patterns provide a biological basis for deleterious mutation sites and further allow prediction of potential antibiotic targeting sites. Understanding assembly pathways of multicomponent macromolecules remains a key challenge in biophysics. Our study provides a 'proof of concept' that directly relates co-evolution to biophysical interactions during multicomponent assembly and suggests predictive power to identify candidates for critical functional interactions as well as for assembly-blocking antibiotic target sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurav Mallik
- Department of Biophysics, Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700009, West Bengal, India Center of Excellence in Systems Biology and Biomedical Engineering (TEQIP Phase II), University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700009, West Bengal, India
| | - Hiroshi Akashi
- Division of Evolutionary Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Sudip Kundu
- Department of Biophysics, Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700009, West Bengal, India Center of Excellence in Systems Biology and Biomedical Engineering (TEQIP Phase II), University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700009, West Bengal, India
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25
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Petrov AS, Williams LD. The ancient heart of the ribosomal large subunit: a response to Caetano-Anolles. J Mol Evol 2015; 80:166-70. [PMID: 25877522 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-015-9678-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Our recent Accretion Model of ribosomal evolution uses insertion fingerprints and a "trunk-branch" formalism to recapitulate the building up of common core rRNA of the Large Ribosomal Subunit. The Accretion Model is a conservative and natural extension of a method developed by Bokov and Steinberg (Nature 457:977-80, 2009), which confirms the correctness of lower resolution models by Fox and others. In each of these models, the LSU originates with the peptidyl transferase center (PTC), consistent with expectations that the ribosome is the source of defined-sequence functional proteins. In an adjacent note, Caetano-Anolles (J Mol Evol 80:162-165, 2015) disparages the Accretion Model, because it controverts the 'Growth Inferred by Genothermal Ordering' (GIGO) model. GIGO analyzes secondary structures, assigns the origin of the ribosome to a region outside of the PTC, and assumes or deduces that (i) large protein enzymes of defined amino acid sequence predate ribosomal synthesis of proteins, (ii) proteins directly replicate by non-ribosomal mechanisms, (iii) rRNA unfailingly increases in thermodynamic stability over time, and (iv) the Woese and Fox canonical tree of life is mis-rooted. Much of the specific GIGO critique of the Accretion Model is based on confusion about the three-dimensional nature of RNA and trunk-branch polymorphism; the Accretion Model incorporates several types of trunk-branch relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton S Petrov
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
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26
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van der Sluis EO, Bauerschmitt H, Becker T, Mielke T, Frauenfeld J, Berninghausen O, Neupert W, Herrmann JM, Beckmann R. Parallel Structural Evolution of Mitochondrial Ribosomes and OXPHOS Complexes. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:1235-51. [PMID: 25861818 PMCID: PMC4453056 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The five macromolecular complexes that jointly mediate oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in mitochondria consist of many more subunits than those of bacteria, yet, it remains unclear by which evolutionary mechanism(s) these novel subunits were recruited. Even less well understood is the structural evolution of mitochondrial ribosomes (mitoribosomes): while it was long thought that their exceptionally high protein content would physically compensate for their uniquely low amount of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), this hypothesis has been refuted by structural studies. Here, we present a cryo-electron microscopy structure of the 73S mitoribosome from Neurospora crassa, together with genomic and proteomic analyses of mitoribosome composition across the eukaryotic domain. Surprisingly, our findings reveal that both structurally and compositionally, mitoribosomes have evolved very similarly to mitochondrial OXPHOS complexes via two distinct phases: A constructive phase that mainly acted early in eukaryote evolution, resulting in the recruitment of altogether approximately 75 novel subunits, and a reductive phase that acted during metazoan evolution, resulting in gradual length-reduction of mitochondrially encoded rRNAs and OXPHOS proteins. Both phases can be well explained by the accumulation of (slightly) deleterious mutations and deletions, respectively, in mitochondrially encoded rRNAs and OXPHOS proteins. We argue that the main role of the newly recruited (nuclear encoded) ribosomal- and OXPHOS proteins is to provide structural compensation to the mutationally destabilized mitochondrially encoded components. While the newly recruited proteins probably provide a selective advantage owing to their compensatory nature, and while their presence may have opened evolutionary pathways toward novel mitochondrion-specific functions, we emphasize that the initial events that resulted in their recruitment was nonadaptive in nature. Our framework is supported by population genetic studies, and it can explain the complete structural evolution of mitochondrial ribosomes and OXPHOS complexes, as well as many observed functions of individual proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli O van der Sluis
- Gene Center and Center for integrated Protein Science Munich (CiPSM), Department of Biochemistry, University of Munich, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Becker
- Gene Center and Center for integrated Protein Science Munich (CiPSM), Department of Biochemistry, University of Munich, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mielke
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, UltraStrukturNetzwerk, Berlin, Germany Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Frauenfeld
- Gene Center and Center for integrated Protein Science Munich (CiPSM), Department of Biochemistry, University of Munich, Germany Present address: Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Otto Berninghausen
- Gene Center and Center for integrated Protein Science Munich (CiPSM), Department of Biochemistry, University of Munich, Germany
| | - Walter Neupert
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Roland Beckmann
- Gene Center and Center for integrated Protein Science Munich (CiPSM), Department of Biochemistry, University of Munich, Germany
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Abstract
The concept of the minimal cell has fascinated scientists for a long time, from both fundamental and applied points of view. This broad concept encompasses extreme reductions of genomes, the last universal common ancestor (LUCA), the creation of semiartificial cells, and the design of protocells and chassis cells. Here we review these different areas of research and identify common and complementary aspects of each one. We focus on systems biology, a discipline that is greatly facilitating the classical top-down and bottom-up approaches toward minimal cells. In addition, we also review the so-called middle-out approach and its contributions to the field with mathematical and computational models. Owing to the advances in genomics technologies, much of the work in this area has been centered on minimal genomes, or rather minimal gene sets, required to sustain life. Nevertheless, a fundamental expansion has been taking place in the last few years wherein the minimal gene set is viewed as a backbone of a more complex system. Complementing genomics, progress is being made in understanding the system-wide properties at the levels of the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome. Network modeling approaches are enabling the integration of these different omics data sets toward an understanding of the complex molecular pathways connecting genotype to phenotype. We review key concepts central to the mapping and modeling of this complexity, which is at the heart of research on minimal cells. Finally, we discuss the distinction between minimizing the number of cellular components and minimizing cellular complexity, toward an improved understanding and utilization of minimal and simpler cells.
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Kaushal PS, Sharma MR, Agrawal RK. The 55S mammalian mitochondrial ribosome and its tRNA-exit region. Biochimie 2015; 114:119-26. [PMID: 25797916 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2015.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria carry their own genetic material and gene-expression machinery, including ribosomes, which are responsible for synthesizing polypeptides that form essential components of the complexes involved in oxidative phosphorylation (or ATP generation) for the eukaryotic cell. Mitochondrial ribosomes (mitoribosomes) are quite divergent from cytoplasmic ribosomes in both composition and structure even as their main functional cores, such as the mRNA decoding and peptidyl transferase sites, are highly conserved. Remarkable progress has been made recently towards understanding the structure of mitoribosomes, by obtaining high-resolution cryo-electron microscopic (cryo-EM) maps. These studies confirm previous structural findings that had revealed that a significant reduction in size of ribosomal RNAs has caused topological changes in some of the functionally relevant regions, including the transfer RNA (tRNA)-binding sites and the nascent polypeptide-exit tunnel, within the structure of the mammalian mitoribosome. In addition, these studies provide unprecedented detailed views of the molecular architecture of those regions. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge of the structure of the mammalian mitoribosome and describe the molecular environment of its tRNA-exit region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prem S Kaushal
- Division of Translational Medicine, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201-0509, USA
| | - Manjuli R Sharma
- Division of Translational Medicine, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201-0509, USA
| | - Rajendra K Agrawal
- Division of Translational Medicine, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201-0509, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.
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29
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Abstract
An RNA World that predated the modern world of polypeptide and polynucleotide is one of the most widely accepted models in origin of life research. In this model, the translation system shepherded the RNA World into the extant biology of DNA, RNA, and protein. Here, we examine the RNA World Hypothesis in the context of increasingly detailed information available about the origins, evolution, functions, and mechanisms of the translation system. We conclude that the translation system presents critical challenges to RNA World Hypotheses. Firstly, a timeline of the RNA World is problematic when the ribosome is incorporated. The mechanism of peptidyl transfer of the ribosome appears distinct from evolved enzymes, signaling origins in a chemical rather than biological milieu. Secondly, we have no evidence that the basic biochemical toolset of life is subject to substantive change by Darwinian evolution, as required for the transition from the RNA world to extant biology. Thirdly, we do not see specific evidence for biological takeover of ribozyme function by protein enzymes. Finally, we can find no basis for preservation of the ribosome as ribozyme or the universality of translation, if it were the case that other information transducing ribozymes, such as ribozyme polymerases, were replaced by protein analogs and erased from the phylogenetic record. We suggest that an updated model of the RNA World should address the current state of knowledge of the translation system.
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30
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Abstract
The origins and evolution of the ribosome, 3-4 billion years ago, remain imprinted in the biochemistry of extant life and in the structure of the ribosome. Processes of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) expansion can be "observed" by comparing 3D rRNA structures of bacteria (small), yeast (medium), and metazoans (large). rRNA size correlates well with species complexity. Differences in ribosomes across species reveal that rRNA expansion segments have been added to rRNAs without perturbing the preexisting core. Here we show that rRNA growth occurs by a limited number of processes that include inserting a branch helix onto a preexisting trunk helix and elongation of a helix. rRNA expansions can leave distinctive atomic resolution fingerprints, which we call "insertion fingerprints." Observation of insertion fingerprints in the ribosomal common core allows identification of probable ancestral expansion segments. Conceptually reversing these expansions allows extrapolation backward in time to generate models of primordial ribosomes. The approach presented here provides insight to the structure of pre-last universal common ancestor rRNAs and the subsequent expansions that shaped the peptidyl transferase center and the conserved core. We infer distinct phases of ribosomal evolution through which ribosomal particles evolve, acquiring coding and translocation, and extending and elaborating the exit tunnel.
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Initial bridges between two ribosomal subunits are formed within 9.4 milliseconds, as studied by time-resolved cryo-EM. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:9822-7. [PMID: 24958863 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1406744111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Association of the two ribosomal subunits during the process of translation initiation is a crucial step of protein synthesis. The two subunits (30S and 50S) of the bacterial 70S ribosome are held together by 12 dynamic bridges involving RNA-RNA, RNA-protein, and protein-protein interactions. The process of bridge formation, such as whether all these bridges are formed simultaneously or in a sequential order, is poorly understood. To understand such processes, we have developed and implemented a class of microfluidic devices that mix two components to completion within 0.4 ms and spray the mixture in the form of microdroplets onto an electron microscopy grid, yielding a minimum reaction time of 9.4 ms before cryofixation. Using these devices, we have obtained cryo-EM data corresponding to reaction times of 9.4 and 43 ms and have determined 3D structures of ribosomal subunit association intermediates. Molecular analyses of the cryo-EM maps reveal that eight intersubunit bridges (bridges B1a, B1b, B2a, B2b, B3, B7a, B7b, and B8) form within 9.4 ms, whereas the remaining four bridges (bridges B2c, B4, B5, and B6) take longer than 43 ms to form, suggesting that bridges are formed in a stepwise fashion. Our approach can be used to characterize sequences of various dynamic functional events on complex macromolecular assemblies such as ribosomes.
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Lightowlers RN, Rozanska A, Chrzanowska-Lightowlers ZM. Mitochondrial protein synthesis: figuring the fundamentals, complexities and complications, of mammalian mitochondrial translation. FEBS Lett 2014; 588:2496-503. [PMID: 24911204 PMCID: PMC4099522 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.05.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial protein synthesis is essential for all mammals, being responsible for providing key components of the oxidative phosphorylation complexes. Although only thirteen different polypeptides are made, the molecular details of this deceptively simple process remain incomplete. Central to this process is a non-canonical ribosome, the mitoribosome, which has evolved to address its unique mandate. In this review, we integrate the current understanding of the molecular aspects of mitochondrial translation with recent advances in structural biology. We identify numerous key questions that we will need to answer if we are to increase our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying mitochondrial protein synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert N Lightowlers
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, The Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
| | - Agata Rozanska
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, The Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Zofia M Chrzanowska-Lightowlers
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, The Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
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Watanabe YI, Suematsu T, Ohtsuki T. Losing the stem-loop structure from metazoan mitochondrial tRNAs and co-evolution of interacting factors. Front Genet 2014; 5:109. [PMID: 24822055 PMCID: PMC4013460 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional tRNAs have highly conserved sequences, four-armed cloverleaf secondary structures, and L-shaped tertiary structures. However, metazoan mitochondrial tRNAs contain several exceptional structures. Almost all tRNAsSer for AGY/N codons lack the D-arm. Furthermore, in some nematodes, no four-armed cloverleaf-type tRNAs are present: two tRNAsSer without the D-arm and 20 tRNAs without the T-arm are found. Previously, we showed that in nematode mitochondria, an extra elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) has evolved to support interaction with tRNAs lacking the T-arm, which interact with C-terminal domain 3 in conventional EF-Tu. Recent mitochondrial genome analyses have suggested that in metazoan lineages other than nematodes, tRNAs without the T-arm are present. Furthermore, even more simplified tRNAs are predicted in some lineages. In this review, we discuss mitochondrial tRNAs with divergent structures, as well as protein factors, including EF-Tu, that support the function of truncated metazoan mitochondrial tRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoh-Ichi Watanabe
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuma Suematsu
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Ohtsuki
- Department of Biotechnology, Okayama University Okayama, Japan
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34
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Jiang J, Aduri R, Chow CS, SantaLucia J. Structure modulation of helix 69 from Escherichia coli 23S ribosomal RNA by pseudouridylations. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 42:3971-81. [PMID: 24371282 PMCID: PMC3973299 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt1329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Helix 69 (H69) is a 19-nt stem-loop region from the large subunit ribosomal RNA. Three pseudouridine (Ψ) modifications clustered in H69 are conserved across phylogeny and known to affect ribosome function. To explore the effects of Ψ on the conformations of Escherichia coli H69 in solution, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to reveal the structural differences between H69 with (ΨΨΨ) and without (UUU) Ψ modifications. Comparison of the two structures shows that H69 ΨΨΨ has the following unique features: (i) the loop region is closed by a Watson-Crick base pair between Ψ1911 and A1919, which is potentially reinforced by interactions involving Ψ1911N1H and (ii) Ψ modifications at loop residues 1915 and 1917 promote base stacking from Ψ1915 to A1918. In contrast, the H69 UUU loop region, which lacks Ψ modifications, is less organized. Structure modulation by Ψ leads to alteration in conformational behavior of the 5' half of the H69 loop region, observed as broadening of C1914 non-exchangeable base proton resonances in the H69 ΨΨΨ nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, and plays an important biological role in establishing the ribosomal intersubunit bridge B2a and mediating translational fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
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35
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Valach M, Moreira S, Kiethega GN, Burger G. Trans-splicing and RNA editing of LSU rRNA in Diplonema mitochondria. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 42:2660-72. [PMID: 24259427 PMCID: PMC3936708 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt1152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) often display reduced size and deviant secondary structure, and sometimes are fragmented, as are their corresponding genes. Here we report a mitochondrial large subunit rRNA (mt-LSU rRNA) with unprecedented features. In the protist Diplonema, the rnl gene is split into two pieces (modules 1 and 2, 534- and 352-nt long) that are encoded by distinct mitochondrial chromosomes, yet the rRNA is continuous. To reconstruct the post-transcriptional maturation pathway of this rRNA, we have catalogued transcript intermediates by deep RNA sequencing and RT-PCR. Gene modules are transcribed separately. Subsequently, transcripts are end-processed, the module-1 transcript is polyuridylated and the module-2 transcript is polyadenylated. The two modules are joined via trans-splicing that retains at the junction ∼26 uridines, resulting in an extent of insertion RNA editing not observed before in any system. The A-tail of trans-spliced molecules is shorter than that of mono-module 2, and completely absent from mitoribosome-associated mt-LSU rRNA. We also characterize putative antisense transcripts. Antisense-mono-modules corroborate bi-directional transcription of chromosomes. Antisense-mt-LSU rRNA, if functional, has the potential of guiding concomitantly trans-splicing and editing of this rRNA. Together, these findings open a window on the investigation of complex regulatory networks that orchestrate multiple and biochemically diverse post-transcriptional events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matus Valach
- Department of Biochemistry and Robert-Cedergren Centre for Bioinformatics and Genomics; Université de Montréal, Montreal, H3C 3J7, Canada
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36
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Hsiao C, Lenz TK, Peters JK, Fang PY, Schneider DM, Anderson EJ, Preeprem T, Bowman JC, O'Neill EB, Lie L, Athavale SS, Gossett JJ, Trippe C, Murray J, Petrov AS, Wartell RM, Harvey SC, Hud NV, Williams LD. Molecular paleontology: a biochemical model of the ancestral ribosome. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:3373-85. [PMID: 23355613 PMCID: PMC3597689 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ancient components of the ribosome, inferred from a consensus of previous work, were constructed in silico, in vitro and in vivo. The resulting model of the ancestral ribosome presented here incorporates ∼20% of the extant 23S rRNA and fragments of five ribosomal proteins. We test hypotheses that ancestral rRNA can: (i) assume canonical 23S rRNA-like secondary structure, (ii) assume canonical tertiary structure and (iii) form native complexes with ribosomal protein fragments. Footprinting experiments support formation of predicted secondary and tertiary structure. Gel shift, spectroscopic and yeast three-hybrid assays show specific interactions between ancestral rRNA and ribosomal protein fragments, independent of other, more recent, components of the ribosome. This robustness suggests that the catalytic core of the ribosome is an ancient construct that has survived billions of years of evolution without major changes in structure. Collectively, the data here support a model in which ancestors of the large and small subunits originated and evolved independently of each other, with autonomous functionalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiaolong Hsiao
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA
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37
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Korobeinikova AV, Garber MB, Gongadze GM. Ribosomal proteins: structure, function, and evolution. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2012; 77:562-74. [PMID: 22817455 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297912060028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The question concerning reasons for the variety of ribosomal proteins that arose for more than 40 years ago is still open. Ribosomes of modern organisms contain 50-80 individual proteins. Some are characteristic for all domains of life (universal ribosomal proteins), whereas others are specific for bacteria, archaea, or eucaryotes. Extensive information about ribosomal proteins has been obtained since that time. However, the role of the majority of ribosomal proteins in the formation and functioning of the ribosome is still not so clear. Based on recent data of experiments and bioinformatics, this review presents a comprehensive evaluation of structural conservatism of ribosomal proteins from evolutionarily distant organisms. Considering the current knowledge about features of the structural organization of the universal proteins and their intermolecular contacts, a possible role of individual proteins and their structural elements in the formation and functioning of ribosomes is discussed. The structural and functional conservatism of the majority of proteins of this group suggests that they should be present in the ribosome already in the early stages of its evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Korobeinikova
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
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38
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Kopylova E, Noé L, Touzet H. SortMeRNA: fast and accurate filtering of ribosomal RNAs in metatranscriptomic data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 28:3211-7. [PMID: 23071270 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/bts611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1492] [Impact Index Per Article: 124.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
MOTIVATION The application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to RNAs directly extracted from a community of organisms yields a mixture of fragments characterizing both coding and non-coding types of RNAs. The task to distinguish among these and to further categorize the families of messenger RNAs and ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) is an important step for examining gene expression patterns of an interactive environment and the phylogenetic classification of the constituting species. RESULTS We present SortMeRNA, a new software designed to rapidly filter rRNA fragments from metatranscriptomic data. It is capable of handling large sets of reads and sorting out all fragments matching to the rRNA database with high sensitivity and low running time.
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39
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Agrawal RK, Sharma MR. Structural aspects of mitochondrial translational apparatus. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2012; 22:797-803. [PMID: 22959417 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2012.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Revised: 08/13/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
During the last decade groundbreaking progress has been made towards the understanding of structure and function of cell's translational machinery. Cryo-electron microscopic (cryo-EM) and X-ray crystallographic structures of cytoplasmic ribosomes from several bacterial and eukaryotic species are now available in various ligand-bound states. Significant advances have also been made in structural studies on ribosomes of the cellular organelles, such as those present in the chloroplasts and mitochondria, using cryo-EM techniques. Here we review the progress made in structure determination of the mitochondrial ribosomes, with an emphasis on the mammalian mitochondrial ribosome and one of its translation initiation factors, and discuss challenges that lie ahead in obtaining their high-resolution structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajendra K Agrawal
- Division of Translational Medicine, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201-0509, United States.
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40
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Caulfield T, Devkota B. Motion of transfer RNA from the A/T state into the A-site using docking and simulations. Proteins 2012; 80:2489-500. [PMID: 22730134 DOI: 10.1002/prot.24131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2012] [Revised: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 06/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The ribosome catalyzes peptidyl transfer reactions at the growing nascent polypeptide chain. Here, we present a structural mechanism for selecting cognate over near-cognate A/T transfer RNA (tRNA). In part, the structural basis for the fidelity of translation relies on accommodation to filter cognate from near-cognate tRNAs. To examine the assembly of tRNAs within the ribonucleic-riboprotein complex, we conducted a series of all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the entire solvated 70S Escherichia coli ribosome, along with its associated cofactors, proteins, and messenger RNA (mRNA). We measured the motion of the A/T state of tRNA between initial binding and full accommodation. The mechanism of rejection was investigated. Using novel in-house algorithms, we determined trajectory pathways. Despite the large intersubunit cavity, the available space is limited by the presence of the tRNA, which is equally large. This article describes a "structural gate," formed between helices 71 and 92 on the ribosomal large subunit, which restricts tRNA motion. The gate and the interacting protein, L14, of the 50S ribosome act as steric filters in two consecutive substeps during accommodation, each requiring: (1) sufficient energy contained in the hybrid tRNA kink and (2) sufficient energy in the Watson-Crick base pairing of the codon-anticodon. We show that these barriers act to filter out near-cognate tRNA and promote proofreading of the codon-anticodon. Since proofreading is essential for understanding the fidelity of translation, our model for the dynamics of this process has substantial biomedical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Caulfield
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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41
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Rackham O, Mercer TR, Filipovska A. The human mitochondrial transcriptome and the RNA-binding proteins that regulate its expression. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2012; 3:675-95. [DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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42
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Feagin JE, Harrell MI, Lee JC, Coe KJ, Sands BH, Cannone JJ, Tami G, Schnare MN, Gutell RR. The fragmented mitochondrial ribosomal RNAs of Plasmodium falciparum. PLoS One 2012; 7:e38320. [PMID: 22761677 PMCID: PMC3382252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2012] [Accepted: 05/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The mitochondrial genome in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is most unusual. Over half the genome is composed of the genes for three classic mitochondrial proteins: cytochrome oxidase subunits I and III and apocytochrome b. The remainder encodes numerous small RNAs, ranging in size from 23 to 190 nt. Previous analysis revealed that some of these transcripts have significant sequence identity with highly conserved regions of large and small subunit rRNAs, and can form the expected secondary structures. However, these rRNA fragments are not encoded in linear order; instead, they are intermixed with one another and the protein coding genes, and are coded on both strands of the genome. This unorthodox arrangement hindered the identification of transcripts corresponding to other regions of rRNA that are highly conserved and/or are known to participate directly in protein synthesis. Principal Findings The identification of 14 additional small mitochondrial transcripts from P. falcipaurm and the assignment of 27 small RNAs (12 SSU RNAs totaling 804 nt, 15 LSU RNAs totaling 1233 nt) to specific regions of rRNA are supported by multiple lines of evidence. The regions now represented are highly similar to those of the small but contiguous mitochondrial rRNAs of Caenorhabditis elegans. The P. falciparum rRNA fragments cluster on the interfaces of the two ribosomal subunits in the three-dimensional structure of the ribosome. Significance All of the rRNA fragments are now presumed to have been identified with experimental methods, and nearly all of these have been mapped onto the SSU and LSU rRNAs. Conversely, all regions of the rRNAs that are known to be directly associated with protein synthesis have been identified in the P. falciparum mitochondrial genome and RNA transcripts. The fragmentation of the rRNA in the P. falciparum mitochondrion is the most extreme example of any rRNA fragmentation discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean E Feagin
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
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Kapoor A, Hornig M, Asokan A, Williams B, Henriquez JA, Lipkin WI. Bocavirus episome in infected human tissue contains non-identical termini. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21362. [PMID: 21738642 PMCID: PMC3125170 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2011] [Accepted: 05/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human bocaviruses (HBoV) are highly prevalent human infections whose pathogenic potential remains unknown. Recent identification of the first non-human primate bocavirus [1] in captive gorillas raised the possibility of the persistent nature of bocavirus infection. To characterize bocavirus infection in humans, we tested intestinal biopsies from 22 children with gastrointestinal disease for the presence of HBoV DNA. Four HBoV-positive tissue samples were analyzed to determine whether viral DNA was present in the linear genomic, the episomal closed circular or the host genome-integrated form. Whereas one tissue sample positive for HBoV3 contained the episomal form (HBoV3-E1), none had the genome-integrated form. The complete genome sequence of HBoV3-E1 contains 5319 nucleotides of which 513 represent the non-coding terminal sequence. The secondary structure of HBoV3-E1 termini suggests several conserved and variable features among human and animal bocaviruses. Our observation that HBoV genome exists as head-to-tail monomer in infected tissue either reflects the likely evolution of alternative replication mechanism in primate bocaviruses or a mechanism of viral persistence in their host. Moreover, we identified the HBoV genomic terminal sequences that will be helpful in developing reverse genetic systems for these widely prevalent parvoviruses. Significance HBoV have been found in healthy human controls as well as individuals with respiratory or gastrointestinal disease. Our findings suggest that HBoV DNA can exist as episomes in infected human tissues and therefore can likely establish persistent infection in the host. Previous efforts to grow HBoV in cell culture and to develop reverse genetic systems have been unsuccessful. Complete genomic sequence of the HBoV3 episome and its genomic termini will improve our understanding of HBoV replication mechanism and its pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kapoor
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America.
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Evolutionary relationships among Chlamydophila abortus variant strains inferred by rRNA secondary structure-based phylogeny. PLoS One 2011; 6:e19813. [PMID: 21629695 PMCID: PMC3101216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2011] [Accepted: 04/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary relationships among known Chlamydophila abortus variant strains including the LLG and POS, previously identified as being highly distinct, were investigated based on rRNA secondary structure information. PCR-amplified overlapping fragments of the 16S, 16S-23S intergenic spacer (IS), and 23S domain I rRNAs were subjected to cloning and sequencing. Secondary structure analysis revealed the presence of transitional single nucleotide variations (SNVs), two of which occurred in loops, while seven in stem regions that did not result in compensatory substitutions. Notably, only two SNVs, in 16S and 23S, occurred within evolutionary variable regions. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogeny reconstructions revealed that C. abortus strains could be regarded as representing two distinct lineages, one including the “classical” C. abortus strains and the other the “LLG/POS variant”, with the type strain B577T possibly representing an intermediate of the two lineages. The two C. abortus lineages shared three unique (apomorphic) characters in the 23S domain I and 16S-23S IS, but interestingly lacked synapomorphies in the 16S rRNA. The two lineages could be distinguished on the basis of eight positions; four of these comprised residues that appeared to be signature or unique for the “classical” lineage, while three were unique for the “LLG/POS variant”. The U277 (E. coli numbering) signature character, corresponding to a highly conserved residue of the 16S molecule, and the unique G681 residue, conserved in a functionally strategic region also of 16S, are the most pronounced attributes (autapomorphies) of the “classical” and the “LLG/POS variant” lineages, respectively. Both lineages were found to be descendants of a common ancestor with the Prk/Daruma C. psittaci variant. Compared with the “classical”, the “LLG/POS variant” lineage has retained more ancestral features. The current rRNA secondary structure-based analysis and phylogenetic inference reveal new insights into how these two C. abortus lineages have differentiated during their evolution.
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Abstract
Metal ions are the salt in the soup of essentially every biological system. Also in the ribosome, the largest natural ribozyme that produces all proteins in every living cell, metal ions have been found contributing significantly to the highly dynamic and accurate process of translation. The ribosome is considered a molecular fossil of the 'RNA world' and it could be shown that the evolutionarily oldest parts of the particle, which build the catalytic center and surrounding domains, are densely packed with divalent metal ions. Nevertheless, metal ions do not seem to directly participate in ribosomal catalysis, their important roles in the ribosome, however, cannot be denied. It is probable that mono- and divalent metal ions primarily promote the functionally competent architecture of the ribosomal RNAs, but more direct roles in mRNA decoding and reading frame maintenance are likely. Decades of biochemical studies and the recent high resolution crystallographic structures of the ribosome strongly indicate that metal ions are involved in essentially every phase of the ribosomal elongation cycle, thus contributing significantly to the precise translation of the genetic code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista Trappl
- Innsbruck Biocenter, Division of Genomics and RNomics, Medical University Innsbruck, Fritz-Pregl-Strasse 3, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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Klimov PB, Knowles LL. Repeated parallel evolution of minimal rRNAs revealed from detailed comparative analysis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 102:283-93. [PMID: 21422103 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esr005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
The concept of a minimal ribosomal RNA-containing ribosome, a structure with a minimal set of elements capable of providing protein biosynthesis, is essential for understanding this fundamental cellular process. Nematodes and trypanosomes have minimal mitochondrial rRNAs and detailed reconstructions of their secondary structures indicate that certain conserved helices have been lost in these taxa. In contrast, several recent studies on acariform mites have argued that minimal rRNAs may evolve via shortening of secondary structure elements but not the loss of these elements as shown for trypanosomes and nematodes. Based on extensive structural analysis of chelicerate arthropods, we demonstrate that extremely short rRNAs of acariform mites share certain structural modifications with nematodes and trypanosomes: loss of helices of the GTPase region and divergence in the evolutionarily conserved connecting loop between helices H1648 and H1764 of the large subunit rRNA. These highly concerted parallel modifications indicate that minimal rRNAs were generated under the strong selection that favored or tolerated reductions of helices in particular locations while maintaining the functionality of the rRNA molecules throughout evolution. We also discuss potential evolution of minimal rRNAs and atypical transfer RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel B Klimov
- University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology, 1109 Geddes Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079, USA.
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Bogdanov AA, Sumbatyan NV, Shishkina AV, Karpenko VV, Korshunova GA. Ribosomal tunnel and translation regulation. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2011; 75:1501-16. [DOI: 10.1134/s0006297910130018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Abstract
The modern ribosome was largely formed at the time of the last common ancestor, LUCA. Hence its earliest origins likely lie in the RNA world. Central to its development were RNAs that spawned the modern tRNAs and a symmetrical region deep within the large ribosomal RNA, (rRNA), where the peptidyl transferase reaction occurs. To understand pre-LUCA developments, it is argued that events that are coupled in time are especially useful if one can infer a likely order in which they occurred. Using such timing events, the relative age of various proteins and individual regions within the large rRNA are inferred. An examination of the properties of modern ribosomes strongly suggests that the initial peptides made by the primitive ribosomes were likely enriched for l-amino acids, but did not completely exclude d-amino acids. This has implications for the nature of peptides made by the first ribosomes. From the perspective of ribosome origins, the immediate question regarding coding is when did it arise rather than how did the assignments evolve. The modern ribosome is very dynamic with tRNAs moving in and out and the mRNA moving relative to the ribosome. These movements may have become possible as a result of the addition of a template to hold the tRNAs. That template would subsequently become the mRNA, thereby allowing the evolution of the code and making an RNA genome useful. Finally, a highly speculative timeline of major events in ribosome history is presented and possible future directions discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- George E Fox
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5001, USA.
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Mori H, Maruyama F, Kurokawa K. VITCOMIC: visualization tool for taxonomic compositions of microbial communities based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. BMC Bioinformatics 2010; 11:332. [PMID: 20565810 PMCID: PMC2894824 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2105-11-332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2010] [Accepted: 06/18/2010] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding the community structure of microbes is typically accomplished by sequencing 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) genes. These community data can be represented by constructing a phylogenetic tree and comparing it with other samples using statistical methods. However, owing to high computational complexity, these methods are insufficient to effectively analyze the millions of sequences produced by new sequencing technologies such as pyrosequencing. Results We introduce a web tool named VITCOMIC (VIsualization tool for Taxonomic COmpositions of MIcrobial Community) that can analyze millions of bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences and calculate the overall taxonomic composition for a microbial community. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of genome-sequenced strains are used as references to identify the nearest relative of each sample sequence. With this information, VITCOMIC plots all sequences in a single figure and indicates relative evolutionary distances. Conclusions VITCOMIC yields a clear representation of the overall taxonomic composition of each sample and facilitates an intuitive understanding of differences in community structure between samples. VITCOMIC is freely available at http://mg.bio.titech.ac.jp/vitcomic/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Mori
- Department of Biological Information, Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
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Capriotti E, Marti-Renom MA. Quantifying the relationship between sequence and three-dimensional structure conservation in RNA. BMC Bioinformatics 2010; 11:322. [PMID: 20550657 PMCID: PMC2904352 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2105-11-322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2009] [Accepted: 06/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In recent years, the number of available RNA structures has rapidly grown reflecting the increased interest on RNA biology. Similarly to the studies carried out two decades ago for proteins, which gave the fundamental grounds for developing comparative protein structure prediction methods, we are now able to quantify the relationship between sequence and structure conservation in RNA. Results Here we introduce an all-against-all sequence- and three-dimensional (3D) structure-based comparison of a representative set of RNA structures, which have allowed us to quantitatively confirm that: (i) there is a measurable relationship between sequence and structure conservation that weakens for alignments resulting in below 60% sequence identity, (ii) evolution tends to conserve more RNA structure than sequence, and (iii) there is a twilight zone for RNA homology detection. Discussion The computational analysis here presented quantitatively describes the relationship between sequence and structure for RNA molecules and defines a twilight zone region for detecting RNA homology. Our work could represent the theoretical basis and limitations for future developments in comparative RNA 3D structure prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emidio Capriotti
- Structural Genomics Unit, Bioinformatics and Genomics Department, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
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