Kinetic isotope effect analysis of the ribosomal peptidyl transferase reaction

Structural and functional studies revealed key mechanisms underlying elongation step of protein translation

The ribosome is an ancient and universally conserved macromolecular machine that synthesizes proteins in all organisms. Since the discovery of the ribosome by electron microscopy in the mid-1950s, rapid progress has been made in research on it, regarding its architecture and functions. As a machine that synthesizes polypeptides, the sequential addition of amino acids to a growing polypeptide chain occurs during a phase called the elongation cycle. This is the core step of protein translation and is highly conserved between bacteria and eukarya. The elongation cycle involves codon recognition by aminoacyl tRNAs, catalysis of peptide bond formation, and the most complex operation of translation-translocation. In this review, we discuss the fundamental results from structural and functional studies over the past decades that have led to understanding of the three key questions underlying translation.

Mechanistic alternatives for peptide bond formation on the ribosome

The peptidyl transfer reaction on the large ribosomal subunit depends on the protonation state of the amine nucleophile and exhibits a large kinetic solvent isotope effect (KSIE ∼8). In contrast, the related peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis reaction involved in termination shows a KSIE of ∼4 and a pH-rate profile indicative of base catalysis. It is, however, unclear why these reactions should proceed with different mechanisms, as the experimental data suggests. One explanation is that two competing mechanisms may be operational in the peptidyl transferase center (PTC). Herein, we explored this possibility by re-examining the previously proposed proton shuttle mechanism and testing the feasibility of general base catalysis also for peptide bond formation. We employed a large cluster model of the active site and different reaction mechanisms were evaluated by density functional theory calculations. In these calculations, the proton shuttle and general base mechanisms both yield activation energies comparable to the experimental values. However, only the proton shuttle mechanism is found to be consistent with the experimentally observed pH-rate profile and the KSIE. This suggests that the PTC promotes the proton shuttle mechanism for peptide bond formation, while prohibiting general base catalysis, although the detailed mechanism by which general base catalysis is excluded remains unclear.

Nitrogen isotopic discrimination in dietary amino acids: The threonine anomaly

RATIONALE

The "Threonine Anomaly" relates to an observation made 25 years ago on the change in Thr nitrogen isotopic ratio in mammalian metabolism. Unlike all other amino acids, Thr in body protein is found to be depleted (rather than enriched) in ¹⁵ N relative to dietary Thr. Interpreting isotopic discrimination has become a useful source of ecological and palaeodietary information and it is desirable that the underlying processes are understood.

METHODS

The principal enzyme of threonine catabolism, suggested to be responsible for the anomaly, threonine dehydratase, was prepared from rat liver. A time course of incubation of the enzyme with pure threonine was followed, and samples of residual threonine prepared for isotopic analysis by combustion in an automated carbon and nitrogen analyser coupled to a continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer.

RESULTS

We show experimentally, in vitro, that the enzymic reaction catabolising Thr cannot be responsible for its ¹⁵ N depletion. Plots of delta ¹⁵ N against both reaction time course and percentage completion show in fact an accelerating enrichment.

CONCLUSIONS

A previously advanced suggestion that the unique catabolic mechanism for threonine was responsible for the anomalous depletion in ¹⁵ N is clearly not the case. We therefore offer alternative explanations, based on threonine's role at an organismal rather than cellular level. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Peptide Bond Formation Mechanism Catalyzed by Ribosome

In this paper we present a study of the peptide bond formation reaction catalyzed by ribosome. Different mechanistic proposals have been explored by means of Free Energy Perturbation methods within hybrid QM/MM potentials, where the chemical system has been described by the M06-2X functional and the environment by means of the AMBER force field. According to our results, the most favorable mechanism in the ribosome would proceed through an eight-membered ring transition state, involving a proton shuttle mechanism through the hydroxyl group of the sugar and a water molecule. This transition state is similar to that described for the reaction in solution (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 8708-8719), but the reaction mechanisms are noticeably different. Our simulations reproduce the experimentally determined catalytic effect of ribosome that can be explained by the different behavior of the two environments. While the solvent reorganizes during the chemical process involving an entropic penalty, the ribosome is preorganized in the formation of the Michaelis complex and does not suffer important changes along the reaction, dampening the charge redistribution of the chemical system.

Heavy atom labeled nucleotides for measurement of kinetic isotope effects

Experimental analysis of kinetic isotope effects represents an extremely powerful approach for gaining information about the transition state structure of complex reactions not available through other methodologies. The implementation of this approach to the study of nucleic acid chemistry requires the synthesis of nucleobases and nucleotides enriched for heavy isotopes at specific positions. In this review, we highlight current approaches to the synthesis of nucleic acids enriched site specifically for heavy oxygen and nitrogen and their application in heavy atom isotope effect studies. This article is part of a special issue titled: Enzyme Transition States from Theory and Experiment.

Isotopic and modeling investigation of long-term protein turnover in rat tissues

Fractional synthesis rates (FSR) of tissue proteins (P) are usually measured using labeled amino acid (AA) tracer methods over short periods of time under acute, particular conditions. By combining the long-term and non-steady-state (15)N labeling of AA and P tissue fractions with compartmental modeling, we have developed a new isotopic approach to investigate the degree of compartmentation of P turnover in tissues and to estimate long-term FSR values under sustained and averaged nutritional and physiological conditions. We measured the rise-to-plateau kinetics of nitrogen isotopic enrichments (δ(15)N) in the AA and P fractions of various tissues in rats for 2 mo following a slight increase in diet δ(15)N. Using these δ(15)N kinetics and a numerical method based on a two-compartment model, we determined reliable FSR estimates for tissues in which P turnover is adequately represented by such a simple precursor-product model. This was the case for kidney, liver, plasma, and muscle, where FSR estimates were 103, 101, 58, and 11%/day, respectively. Conversely, we identified tissues, namely, skin and small intestine, where P turnover proved to be too complex to be represented by a simple two-compartment model, evidencing the higher level of subcompartmentation of the P and/or AA metabolism in these tissues. The present results support the value of this new approach in gaining cognitive and practical insights into tissue P turnover and propose new and integrated FSR values over all individual precursor AA and all diurnal variations in P kinetics.

Bridging the gap between ribosome structure and biochemistry by mechanistic computations

The wealth of structural and biochemical data now available for protein synthesis on the ribosome presents major new challenges for computational biochemistry. Apart from technical difficulties in modeling ribosome systems, the complexity of the overall translation cycle with a multitude of different kinetic steps presents a formidable problem for computational efforts where we have only seen the beginning. However, a range of methodologies including molecular dynamics simulations, free energy calculations, molecular docking and quantum chemical approaches have already been put to work with promising results. In particular, the combined efforts of structural biology, biochemistry, kinetics and computational modeling can lead towards a quantitative structure-based description of translation.

Analysis of enzymatic transacylase Brønsted studies with application to the ribosome

Preferential binding of an enzyme to the transition state relative to the ground state is a key strategy for enzyme catalysis. When there is a difference between the ground and transition state charge distributions, enzymes maximize electrostatic interactions to achieve this enhanced transition state binding. Although the transition state is difficult to observe directly by structural methods, the chemical details of this transient species can be characterized by studies of substituent effects (Brønsted, Hammett, Swain-Scott, etc.) and isotope effects. Brønsted analysis can provide an estimate of transition state charges for the nucleophile and leaving group of a reaction. This Account will discuss the theoretical basis of Brønsted analysis and describe its practical application to the study of transacylase enzyme systems including the peptidyl transferase reaction of the ribosome. The Brønsted coefficient is derived from the linear free energy relationship (LFER) that correlates the acidity (pK(a)) of a reactive atom to the log of its rate constant. The Brønsted coefficient establishes the change in atomic charge as the reaction proceeds from the ground state to the transition state. Bonding events alter the electrostatics of atoms and the extent of bonding can be extrapolated from transition state charges. Therefore, well-defined nucleophile and leaving group transition state charges limit the number of mechanisms that are consistent with a particular transition state. Brønsted results are most informative when interpreted in the context of other mechanistic data, especially for enzymatic studies where an active site may promote a transition state that differs significantly from a prediction based on uncatalyzed solution reactions. Here we review Brønsted analyses performed on transacylases to illustrate how these data enhanced the enzymatic mechanistic studies. Through a systematic comparison of five enzymes, we reveal a wide spectrum of Brønsted values that are possible for what otherwise appear to be similar chemical reactions. The variations in the Brønsted coefficients predict different transition states for the various enzymes. This Account explores an overriding theme in the enzymatic mechanisms that catalysis enhances commensurate bond formation and proton abstraction events. The extent of the two bonding events in relationship to each other can be inferred from the Brønsted coefficient. When viewed in the context of recent ribosomal studies, this interpretation provides mechanistic insights into peptide bond formation.

The chemical versatility of RNA

The ability of RNA to both store genetic information and catalyse chemical reactions has led to the hypothesis that it predates DNA and proteins. While there is no doubt that RNA is capable of storing the genetic information of a primitive organism, only two classes of reactions-phosphoryl transfer and peptide bond formation-have been observed to be catalysed by RNA in nature. However, these naturally occurring ribozymes use a wide range of catalytic strategies that could be applied to other reactions. Furthermore, RNA can bind several cofactors that are used by protein enzymes to facilitate a wide variety of chemical processes. Despite its limited functional groups, these observations indicate RNA is a versatile molecule that could, in principle, catalyse the myriad reactions necessary to sustain life.

The nature of the dietary protein impacts the tissue-to-diet 15N discrimination factors in laboratory rats

Due to the existence of isotope effects on some metabolic pathways of amino acid and protein metabolism, animal tissues are ¹⁵N-enriched relative to their dietary nitrogen sources and this ¹⁵N enrichment varies among different tissues and metabolic pools. The magnitude of the tissue-to-diet discrimination (Δ¹⁵N) has also been shown to depend on dietary factors. Since dietary protein sources affect amino acid and protein metabolism, we hypothesized that they would impact this discrimination factor, with selective effects at the tissue level. To test this hypothesis, we investigated in rats the influence of a milk or soy protein-based diet on Δ¹⁵N in various nitrogen fractions (urea, protein and non-protein fractions) of blood and tissues, focusing on visceral tissues. Regardless of the diet, the different protein fractions of blood and tissues were generally ¹⁵N-enriched relative to their non-protein fraction and to the diet (Δ¹⁵N>0), with large variations in the Δ¹⁵N between tissue proteins. Δ¹⁵N values were markedly lower in tissue proteins of rats fed milk proteins compared to those fed soy proteins, in all sampled tissues except in the intestine, and the amplitude of Δ¹⁵N differences between diets differed between tissues. Both between-tissue and between-diet Δ¹⁵N differences are probably related to modulations of the relative orientation of dietary and endogenous amino acids in the different metabolic pathways. More specifically, the smaller Δ¹⁵N values observed in tissue proteins with milk than soy dietary protein may be due to a slightly more direct channeling of dietary amino acids for tissue protein renewal and to a lower recycling of amino acids through fractionating pathways. In conclusion, the present data indicate that natural Δ¹⁵N of tissue are sensitive markers of the specific subtle regional modifications of the protein and amino acid metabolism induced by the protein dietary source.

Different substrate-dependent transition states in the active site of the ribosome

The active site of the ribosome, the peptidyl transferase centre, catalyses two reactions, namely, peptide bond formation between peptidyl-tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA as well as the release-factor-dependent hydrolysis of peptidyl-tRNA. Unlike peptide bond formation, peptide release is strongly impaired by mutations of nucleotides within the active site, in particular by base exchanges at position A2602 (refs 1, 2). The 2'-OH group of A76 of the peptidyl-tRNA substrate seems to have a key role in peptide release. According to computational analysis, the 2'-OH may take part in a concerted 'proton shuttle' by which the leaving group is protonated, in analogy to similar current models of peptide bond formation. Here we report kinetic solvent isotope effects and proton inventories (reaction rates measured in buffers with increasing content of deuterated water, D(2)O) of the two reactions catalysed by the active site of the Escherichia coli ribosome. The transition state of the release factor 2 (RF2)-dependent hydrolysis reaction is characterized by the rate-limiting formation of a single strong hydrogen bond. This finding argues against a concerted proton shuttle in the transition state of the hydrolysis reaction. In comparison, the proton inventory for peptide bond formation indicates the rate-limiting formation of three hydrogen bonds with about equal contributions, consistent with a concerted eight-membered proton shuttle in the transition state. Thus, the ribosome supports different rate-limiting transition states for the two reactions that take place in the peptidyl transferase centre.

A two-step chemical mechanism for ribosome-catalysed peptide bond formation

The chemical step of natural protein synthesis, peptide bond formation, is catalysed by the large subunit of the ribosome. Crystal structures have shown that the active site for peptide bond formation is composed entirely of RNA. Recent work has focused on how an RNA active site is able to catalyse this fundamental biological reaction at a suitable rate for protein synthesis. On the basis of the absence of important ribosomal functional groups, lack of a dependence on pH, and the dominant contribution of entropy to catalysis, it has been suggested that the role of the ribosome is limited to bringing the substrates into close proximity. Alternatively, the importance of the 2'-hydroxyl of the peptidyl-transfer RNA and a Brønsted coefficient near zero have been taken as evidence that the ribosome coordinates a proton-transfer network. Here we report the transition state of peptide bond formation, based on analysis of the kinetic isotope effect at five positions within the reaction centre of a peptidyl-transfer RNA mimic. Our results indicate that in contrast to the uncatalysed reaction, formation of the tetrahedral intermediate and proton transfer from the nucleophilic nitrogen both occur in the rate-limiting step. Unlike in previous proposals, the reaction is not fully concerted; instead, breakdown of the tetrahedral intermediate occurs in a separate fast step. This suggests that in addition to substrate positioning, the ribosome is contributing to chemical catalysis by changing the rate-limiting transition state.

Transition states of uncatalyzed hydrolysis and aminolysis reactions of a ribosomal P-site substrate determined by kinetic isotope effects

The ester bond of peptidyl-tRNA undergoes nucleophilic attack in solution and when catalyzed by the ribosome. To characterize the uncatalyzed hydrolysis reaction, a model of peptide release, the transition state structure for hydrolysis of a peptidyl-tRNA mimic was determined. Kinetic isotope effects were measured at several atoms that potentially undergo a change in bonding in the transition state. Large kinetic isotope effects of carbonyl (18)O and alpha-deuterium substitutions on uncatalyzed hydrolysis indicate the transition state is nearly tetrahedral. Kinetic isotope effects were also measured for aminolysis by hydroxylamine to study a reaction similar to the formation of a peptide bond. In contrast to hydrolysis, the large leaving group (18)O isotope effect indicates the C-O3' bond has undergone significant scission in the transition state. The smaller carbonyl (18)O and alpha-deuterium effects are consistent with a later transition state. The assay developed here can also be used to measure isotope effects for the ribosome-catalyzed reactions. These uncatalyzed reactions serve as a basis for determining what aspects of the transition states are stabilized by the ribosome to achieve a rate enhancement.

The transition state for peptide bond formation reveals the ribosome as a water trap

Recent progress in elucidating the peptide bond formation process on the ribosome has led to notion of a proton shuttle mechanism where the 2'-hydroxyl group of the P-site tRNA plays a key role in mediating proton transfer between the nucleophile and leaving group, whereas ribosomal groups do not actively participate in the reaction. Despite these advances, the detailed nature of the transition state for peptidyl transfer and the role of several trapped water molecules in the peptidyl transferase center remain major open questions. Here, we employ high-level quantum chemical ab initio calculations to locate and characterize global transition states for the reaction, described by a molecular model encompassing all the key elements of the reaction center. The calculated activation enthalpy as well as structures are in excellent agreement with experimental data and point to feasibility of an eight-membered "double proton shuttle" mechanism in which an auxiliary water molecule, observed both in computer simulations and crystal structures, actively participates. A second conserved water molecule is found to be of key importance for stabilizing developing negative charge on the substrate oxyanion and its presence is catalytically favorable both in terms of activation enthalpy and entropy. Transition states calculated both for six- and eight-membered mechanisms are invariably late and do not involve significant charge development on the attacking amino group. Predicted kinetic isotope effects consistent with this picture are similar to those observed for uncatalyzed ester aminolysis reactions in solution.

An uncharged amine in the transition state of the ribosomal peptidyl transfer reaction

The ribosome has an active site comprised of RNA that catalyzes peptide bond formation. To understand how RNA promotes this reaction requires a detailed understanding of the chemical transition state. Here, we report the Brønsted coefficient of the alpha-amino nucleophile with a series of puromycin derivatives. Both 50S subunit- and 70S ribosome-catalyzed reactions displayed linear free-energy relationships with slopes close to zero under conditions where chemistry is rate limiting. These results indicate that, at the transition state, the nucleophile is neutral in the ribosome-catalyzed reaction, in contrast to the substantial positive charge reported for typical uncatalyzed aminolysis reactions. This suggests that the ribosomal transition state involves deprotonation to a degree commensurate with nitrogen-carbon bond formation. Such a transition state is significantly different from that of uncatalyzed aminolysis reactions in solution.

Synthesis of isotopically labeled P-site substrates for the ribosomal peptidyl transferase reaction

Isotopomers of the ribosomal P-site substrate, the trinucleotide peptide conjugate CCA-pcb (Zhong, M.; Strobel, S. A. Org. Lett. 2006, 8, 55-58), have been designed and synthesized in 26-35 steps. These include individual isotopic substitution at the alpha-hydrogen, carbonyl carbon, and carbonyl oxygen of the amino acid, the O2' and O3' of the adenosine, and a remote label in the N3 and N4 of both cytidines. These isotopomers were synthesized by coupling cytidylyl-(3',5')-cytidine phosphoramidite isotopomers as the common synthetic intermediates, with isotopically substituted A-Phe-cap-biotin (A-pcb). The isotopic enrichment is higher than 99% for 1-13C (Phe), 2-2H (Phe), and 3,4-15N2 (cytidine), 93% for 2'/3'-18 O (adenosine), and 64% for 1-18 O (Phe). A new synthesis of highly enriched [1-18 O2]phenylalanine has been developed. The synthesis of [3'-18 O]adenosine was improved by Lewis acid aided regioselective ring opening of the epoxide and by an economical SN2-SN2 method with high isotopic enrichment (93%). Such substrates are valuable for studies of the ribosomal peptidyl transferase reaction by complete kinetic isotope effect analysis and of other biological processes catalyzed by nucleic acid related enzymes, including polymerases, reverse transcriptases, ligases, nucleases, and ribozymes.

Inaccuracies in selected ion monitoring determination of isotope ratios obviated by profile acquisition: nucleotide 18O/16O measurements

Precise and accurate measurements of isotopologue distributions (IDs) in biological molecules are needed for determination of isotope effects, quantitation by isotope dilution, and quantification of isotope tracers employed in both metabolic and biophysical studies. While single ion monitoring (SIM) yields significantly greater sensitivity and signal/noise than profile-mode acquisitions, we show that small changes in the SIM window width and/or center can alter experimentally determined isotope ratios by up to 5%, resulting in significant inaccuracies. This inaccuracy is attributed to mass granularity, the differential distribution of digital data points across the m/z ranges sampled by SIM. Acquiring data in the profile mode and fitting the data to an equation describing a series of equally spaced and identically shaped peaks eliminates the inaccuracies associated with mass granularity with minimal loss of precision. Additionally a method of using the complete ID profile data that inherently corrects for "spillover" and for the natural-abundance ID has been used to determine 18O/16O ratios for 5',3'-guanosine bis-[18O1]phosphate and TM[18O1]P with precisions of approximately 0.005. The analysis protocol is also applied to quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry using [2-(18)O] arabinouridine and 3'-UM[18O1]P which enhances signal/noise and minimizes concerns for background contamination.

The Ribosomal Peptidyl Transferase

Peptide bond formation on the ribosome takes place in an active site composed of RNA. Recent progress of structural, biochemical, and computational approaches has provided a fairly detailed picture of the catalytic mechanism of the reaction. The ribosome accelerates peptide bond formation by lowering the activation entropy of the reaction due to positioning the two substrates, ordering water in the active site, and providing an electrostatic network that stabilizes the reaction intermediates. Proton transfer during the reaction appears to be promoted by a concerted proton shuttle mechanism that involves ribose hydroxyl groups on the tRNA substrate.

Toward ribosomal RNA catalytic activity in the absence of protein

The ribosome is the ribonucleoprotein particle responsible for translation of genetic information into proteins. The RNA component of the ribosome has been implicated as the catalytic entity for peptide bond formation based on protease resistance and structural data indicating an all-RNA active site. Nevertheless, peptidyl transfer by ribosomal RNA (rRNA) alone has not been demonstrated. In an attempt to show such activity we generated a minimal construct that comprises much of the 23S rRNA peptidyl transferase center, including the central loop and the A- and P-loops. This minimal rRNA domain was inactive in peptide bond formation under all conditions tested. The RNA was subsequently subjected to six rounds of in vitro selection designed to enrich for this activity. The result was a mutated rRNA sequence that could catalyze the covalent linkage of an A-site and P-site substrate; however, the product did not contain a peptide bond. The current study is an example of an in vitro derived alternate function of rRNA mutants and illustrates the evolutionary possibility that the protoribosome may have used amino acids as substrates before it gained the ability to join them into peptides. Though peptidyl transferase activity in the absence of protein remains elusive, the ease with which alternate catalytic activity was selected from rRNA with a small number of mutations suggests that rRNA may have inherent activity. This study represents a step on the path toward isolating that native activity.

Rapid peptide bond formation on isolated 50S ribosomal subunits

The catalytic site of the ribosome, the peptidyl transferase centre, is located on the large (50S in bacteria) ribosomal subunit. On the basis of results obtained with small substrate analogues, isolated 50S subunits seem to be less active in peptide bond formation than 70S ribosomes by several orders of magnitude, suggesting that the reaction mechanisms on 50S subunits and 70S ribosomes may be different. Here we show that with full-size fMet-tRNA(fMet) and puromycin or C-puromycin as peptide donor and acceptor substrates, respectively, the reaction proceeds as rapidly on 50S subunits as on 70S ribosomes, indicating that the intrinsic activity of 50S subunits is not different from that of 70S ribosomes. The faster reaction on 50S subunits with fMet-tRNA(fMet), compared with oligonucleotide substrate analogues, suggests that full-size transfer RNA in the P site is important for maintaining the active conformation of the peptidyl transferase centre.

Peptide bond formation does not involve acid-base catalysis by ribosomal residues

Ribosomes catalyze the formation of peptide bonds between aminoacyl esters of transfer RNAs within a catalytic center composed of ribosomal RNA only. Here we show that the reaction of P-site formylmethionine (fMet)-tRNA(fMet) with a modified A-site tRNA substrate, Phelac-tRNA(Phe), in which the nucleophilic amino group is replaced with a hydroxyl group, does not show the pH dependence observed with small substrate analogs such as puromycin and hydroxypuromycin. This indicates that acid-base catalysis by ribosomal residues is not important in the reaction with the full-size substrate. Rather, the ribosome catalyzes peptide bond formation by positioning the tRNAs, or their 3' termini, through interactions with rRNA that induce and/or stabilize a pH-insensitive conformation of the active site and provide a preorganized environment facilitating the reaction. The rate of peptide bond formation with unmodified Phe-tRNA(Phe) is estimated to be >300 s(-1).

Synthesis of the ribosomal P-site substrate CCA-pcb

[reaction: see text] CCA-pcb (cytidylyl-(3'5')-cytidylyl-(3'5')-3'(2')-O-(N-(6-D-(+)-biotinoylaminohexanoyl)-L-phenylalanyl)adenosine), a ribosomal P-site substrate, was synthesized by phosphoramidite chemistry in 26 steps with an overall yield of 18%, starting from biotin. The synthesis relies on the judicious selection of orthogonal silyl protecting groups for the 5'-hydroxyls and acid-labile protecting groups (DMTr, AcE, and MeE) at other reactive sites to ensure the intactness of the labile ester. Both 3'-esterification and nucleotide coupling were accomplished by in situ activation with imidazolium ions.

The interaction between C75 of tRNA and the A loop of the ribosome stimulates peptidyl transferase activity

Ribosomal variants carrying mutations in active site nucleotides are severely compromised in their ability to catalyze peptide bond formation (PT) with minimal aminoacyl tRNA substrates such as puromycin. However, catalysis of PT by these same ribosomes with intact aminoacyl tRNA substrates is uncompromised. These data suggest that these active site nucleotides play an important role in the positioning of minimal aminoacyl tRNA substrates but are not essential for catalysis per se when aminoacyl tRNAs are positioned by more remote interactions with the ribosome. Previously reported biochemical studies and atomic resolution X-ray structures identified a direct Watson-Crick interaction between C75 of the A-site substrate and G2553 of the 23S rRNA. Here we show that the addition of this single cytidine residue (the C75 equivalent) to puromycin is sufficient to suppress the deficiencies of active site ribosomal variants, thus restoring "tRNA-like" behavior to this minimal substrate. Studies of the binding parameters and the pH-dependence of catalysis with this minimal substrate indicate that the interaction between C75 and the ribosomal A loop is an essential feature for robust catalysis and further suggest that the observed effects of C75 on peptidyl transfer activity reflect previously reported conformational rearrangements in this active site.

Structural insights into the roles of water and the 2' hydroxyl of the P site tRNA in the peptidyl transferase reaction

Peptide bond formation is catalyzed at the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) of the large ribosomal subunit. Crystal structures of the large ribosomal subunit of Haloarcula marismortui (Hma) complexed with several analogs that represent either the substrates or the transition state intermediate of the peptidyl transferase reaction show that this reaction proceeds through a tetrahedral intermediate with S chirality. The oxyanion of the tetrahedral intermediate interacts with a water molecule that is positioned by nucleotides A2637 (E. coli numbering, 2602) and (methyl)U2619(2584). There are no Mg2+ ions or monovalent metal ions observed in the PTC that could directly promote catalysis. The A76 2' hydroxyl of the peptidyl-tRNA is hydrogen bonded to the alpha-amino group and could facilitate peptide bond formation by substrate positioning and by acting as a proton shuttle between the alpha-amino group and the A76 3' hydroxyl of the peptidyl-tRNA.

An induced-fit mechanism to promote peptide bond formation and exclude hydrolysis of peptidyl-tRNA

The large ribosomal subunit catalyses the reaction between the alpha-amino group of the aminoacyl-tRNA bound to the A site and the ester carbon of the peptidyl-tRNA bound to the P site, while preventing the nucleophilic attack of water on the ester, which would lead to unprogrammed deacylation of the peptidyl-tRNA. Here we describe three new structures of the large ribosomal subunit of Haloarcula marismortui (Hma) complexed with peptidyl transferase substrate analogues that reveal an induced-fit mechanism in which substrates and active-site residues reposition to allow the peptidyl transferase reaction. Proper binding of an aminoacyl-tRNA analogue to the A site induces specific movements of 23S rRNA nucleotides 2618-2620 (Escherichia coli numbering 2583-2585) and 2541(2506), thereby reorienting the ester group of the peptidyl-tRNA and making it accessible for attack. In the absence of the appropriate A-site substrate, the peptidyl transferase centre positions the ester link of the peptidyl-tRNA in a conformation that precludes the catalysed nucleophilic attack by water. Protein release factors may also function, in part, by inducing an active-site rearrangement similar to that produced by the A-site aminoacyl-tRNA, allowing the carbonyl group and water to be positioned for hydrolysis.