Conformational change in the 16S rRNA in the Escherichia coli 70S ribosome induced by P/P- and P/E-site tRNAPhe binding

S-adenosyl-L-methionine induces compaction of nascent peptide chain inside the ribosomal exit tunnel upon translation arrest in the Arabidopsis CGS1 gene

Expression of the Arabidopsis CGS1 gene, encoding the first committed enzyme of methionine biosynthesis, is feedback-regulated in response to S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) at the mRNA level. This regulation is first preceded by temporal arrest of CGS1 translation elongation at the Ser-94 codon. AdoMet is specifically required for this translation arrest, although the mechanism by which AdoMet acts with the CGS1 nascent peptide remained elusive. We report here that the nascent peptide of CGS1 is induced to form a compact conformation within the exit tunnel of the arrested ribosome in an AdoMet-dependent manner. Cysteine residues introduced into CGS1 nascent peptide showed reduced ability to react with polyethyleneglycol maleimide in the presence of AdoMet, consistent with a shift into the ribosomal exit tunnel. Methylation protection and UV cross-link assays of 28 S rRNA revealed that induced compaction of nascent peptide is associated with specific changes in methylation protection and UV cross-link patterns in the exit tunnel wall. A 14-residue stretch of amino acid sequence, termed the MTO1 region, has been shown to act in cis for CGS1 translation arrest and mRNA degradation. This regulation is lost in the presence of mto1 mutations, which cause single amino acid alterations within MTO1. In this study, both the induced peptide compaction and exit tunnel change were found to be disrupted by mto1 mutations. These results suggest that the MTO1 region participates in the AdoMet-induced arrest of CGS1 translation by mediating changes of the nascent peptide and the exit tunnel wall.

Internucleotide movements during formation of 16 S rRNA-rRNA photocrosslinks and their connection to the 30 S subunit conformational dynamics

UV light-induced RNA photocrosslinks are formed at a limited number of specific sites in the Escherichia coli and in other eubacterial 16 S rRNAs. To determine if unusually favorable internucleotide geometries could explain the restricted crosslinking patterns, parameters describing the internucleotide geometries were calculated from the Thermus thermophilus 30 S subunit X-ray structure and compared to crosslinking frequencies. Significant structural adjustments between the nucleotide pairs usually are needed for crosslinking. Correlations between the crosslinking frequencies and the geometrical parameters indicate that nucleotide pairs closer to the orientation needed for photoreaction have higher crosslinking frequencies. These data are consistent with transient conformational changes during crosslink formation in which the arrangements needed for photochemical reaction are attained during the electronic excitation times. The average structural rearrangement for UVA-4-thiouridine (s4U)-induced crosslinking is larger than that for UVB or UVC-induced crosslinking; this is associated with the longer excitation time for s4U and is also consistent with transient conformational changes. The geometrical parameters do not completely predict the crosslinking frequencies, implicating other aspects of the tertiary structure or conformational flexibility in determining the frequencies and the locations of the crosslinking sites. The majority of the UVB/C and UVA-s4U-induced crosslinks are located in four regions in the 30 S subunit, within or at the ends of RNA helix 34, in the tRNA P-site, in the distal end of helix 28 and in the helix 19/helix 27 region. These regions are implicated in different aspects of tRNA accommodation, translocation and in the termination reaction. These results show that photocrosslinking is an indicator for sites where there is internucleotide conformational flexibility and these sites are largely restricted to parts of the 30 S subunit associated with ribosome function.

A 16S rRNA-tRNA product containing a nucleotide phototrimer and specific for tRNA in the P/E hybrid state in the Escherichia coli ribosome

Ribosome complexes containing deacyl-tRNA1(Val) or biotinylvalyl-tRNA1(Val) and an mRNA analog have been irradiated with wavelengths specific for activation of the cmo5U nucleoside at position 34 in the tRNA1(Val) anticodon loop. The major product for both types of tRNA is the cross-link between 16S rRNA (C1400) and the tRNA (cmo5U34) characterized already by Ofengand and his collaborators [Prince et al. (1982) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 79, 5450-5454]. However, in complexes containing deacyl-tRNA1(Val), an additional product is separated by denaturing PAGE and this is shown to involve C1400 and m5C967 of 16S rRNA and cmo5U34 of the tRNA. Puromycin treatment of the biotinylvalyl-tRNA1(Val) -70S complex followed by irradiation, results in the appearance of the unusual photoproduct, which indicates an immediate change in the tRNA interaction with the ribosome after peptide transfer. These results indicate an altered interaction between the tRNA anticodon and the 30S subunit for the tRNA in the P/E hybrid state compared with its interaction in the classic P/P state.

Pattern of 4-thiouridine-induced cross-linking in 16S ribosomal RNA in the Escherichia coli 30S subunit

The locations of RNA-RNA cross-links in 16S rRNA were determined after in vivo incorporation of 4-thiouridine (s(4)U) into RNA in a strain of Escherichia coli deficient in pyrimidine synthesis and irradiation at >320 nm. This was done as an effort to find RNA cross-links different from UVB-induced cross-links that would be valuable for monitoring the 30S subunit in functional complexes. Cross-linked 16S rRNA was separated on the basis of loop size, and cross-linking sites were identified by reverse transcription, RNase H cleavage, and RNA sequencing. A limited number of RNA-RNA cross-links in nine regions were observed. In five regions-s(4)U562 x C879-U884, s(4)U793 x A1519, s(4)U1189 x U1060-G1064, s(4)U1183 x A1092, and s(4)U991 x C1210-U1212-the s(4)U-induced cross-links are similar to UVB-induced cross-links observed previously. In four other regions-s(4)U960 x A1225, s(4)U820 x G570, s(4)U367 x A55-U56, and s(4)U239 x A120-the s(4)U-induced cross-links are different from UVB-induced cross-links. The pattern of cross-linking is not limited by the distribution of s(4)U, because there are at least 112 s(4)U substitution sites in the 16S rRNA. The relatively small number of s(4)U-mediated cross-links is probably determined by the organization of the RNA in the 30S subunit, which allows RNA conformational flexibility needed for cross-link formation in just a limited region.