Two distinct domains of the beta subunit of Aquifex aeolicus leucyl-tRNA synthetase are involved in tRNA binding as revealed by a three-hybrid selection

Rational Design of Aptamer-Tagged tRNAs

Reprogramming of the genetic code system is limited by the difficulty in creating new tRNA structures. Here, I developed translationally active tRNA variants tagged with a small hairpin RNA aptamer, using Escherichia coli reporter assay systems. As the tRNA chassis for engineering, I employed amber suppressor variants of allo-tRNAs having the 9/3 composition of the 12-base pair amino-acid acceptor branch as well as a long variable arm (V-arm). Although their V-arm is a strong binding site for seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS), insertion of a bulge nucleotide in the V-arm stem region prevented allo-tRNA molecules from being charged by SerRS with serine. The SerRS-rejecting allo-tRNA chassis were engineered to have another amino-acid identity of either alanine, tyrosine, or histidine. The tip of the V-arms was replaced with diverse hairpin RNA aptamers, which were recognized by their cognate proteins expressed in E. coli. A high-affinity interaction led to the sequestration of allo-tRNA molecules, while a moderate-affinity aptamer moiety recruited histidyl-tRNA synthetase variants fused with the cognate protein domain. The new design principle for tRNA-aptamer fusions will enhance radical and dynamic manipulation of the genetic code.

Acetylation of lysine ϵ-amino groups regulates aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase activity in Escherichia coli

Previous proteomic analyses have shown that aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in many organisms can be modified by acetylation of Lys. In this present study, leucyl-tRNA synthetase and arginyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli (EcLeuRS and EcArgRS) were overexpressed and purified and found to be acetylated on Lys residues by MS. Gln scanning mutagenesis revealed that Lys⁶¹⁹, Lys⁶²⁴, and Lys⁸⁰⁹ in EcLeuRS and Lys¹²⁶ and Lys⁴⁰⁸ in EcArgRS might play important roles in enzyme activity. Furthermore, we utilized a novel protein expression system to obtain enzymes harboring acetylated Lys at specific sites and investigated their catalytic activity. Acetylation of these Lys residues could affect their aminoacylation activity by influencing amino acid activation and/or the affinity for tRNA. In vitro assays showed that acetyl-phosphate nonenzymatically acetylates EcLeuRS and EcArgRS and suggested that the sirtuin class deacetylase CobB might regulate acetylation of these two enzymes. These findings imply a potential regulatory role for Lys acetylation in controlling the activity of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and thus protein synthesis.

C-terminal Domain of Leucyl-tRNA Synthetase from Pathogenic Candida albicans Recognizes both tRNASer and tRNALeu

Leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) is a multidomain enzyme that catalyzes Leu-tRNA(Leu) formation and is classified into bacterial and archaeal/eukaryotic types with significant diversity in the C-terminal domain (CTD). CTDs of both bacterial and archaeal LeuRSs have been reported to recognize tRNA(Leu) through different modes of interaction. In the human pathogen Candida albicans, the cytoplasmic LeuRS (CaLeuRS) is distinguished by its capacity to recognize a uniquely evolved chimeric tRNA(Ser) (CatRNA(Ser)(CAG)) in addition to its cognate CatRNA(Leu), leading to CUG codon reassignment. Our previous study showed that eukaryotic but not archaeal LeuRSs recognize this peculiar tRNA(Ser), suggesting the significance of their highly divergent CTDs in tRNA(Ser) recognition. The results of this study provided the first evidence of the indispensable function of the CTD of eukaryotic LeuRS in recognizing non-cognate CatRNA(Ser) and cognate CatRNA(Leu). Three lysine residues were identified as involved in mediating enzyme-tRNA interaction in the leucylation process: mutation of all three sites totally ablated the leucylation activity. The importance of the three lysine residues was further verified by gel mobility shift assays and complementation of a yeast leuS gene knock-out strain.

Crucial role of the C-terminal domain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis leucyl-tRNA synthetase in aminoacylation and editing

The C-terminal extension of prokaryotic leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) has been shown to make contacts with the tertiary structure base pairs of tRNA(Leu) as well as its long variable arm. However, the precise role of the flexibly linked LeuRS C-terminal domain (CTD) in aminoacylation and editing processes has not been clarified. In this study, we carried out aspartic acid scanning within the CTD of Mycobacterium tuberculosis LeuRS (MtbLeuRS) and studied the effects on tRNA(Leu)-binding capacity and enzymatic activity. Several critical residues were identified to impact upon the interactions between LeuRS and tRNA(Leu) due to their contributions in the maintenance of structural stability or a neutral interaction interface between the CTD platform and tRNA(Leu) elbow region. Moreover, we propose Arg921 as a crucial recognition site for the tRNA(Leu) long variable arm in aminoacylation and tRNA-dependent pre-transfer editing. We also show here the CTD flexibility conferred by Val910 in regulation of LeuRS-tRNA(Leu) interaction. Taken together, our results suggest the structural importance of the CTD in modulating precise interactions between LeuRS and tRNA(Leu) during the quality control of leucyl-tRNA(Leu) synthesis. This system for the investigation of the interactions between MtbLeuRS and tRNA(Leu) provides a platform for the development of novel antitubercular drugs.

Fifteen years of the yeast three-hybrid system: RNA-protein interactions under investigation

In 1996, the Wickens and the Kuhl labs developed the yeast three-hybrid system independently. By expressing two chimeric proteins and one chimeric RNA molecule in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this method allows in vivo monitoring of RNA-protein interactions by measuring the expression levels of HIS3 and LacZ reporter genes. Specific RNA targets have been used to characterize unknown RNA binding proteins. Previously described RNA binding proteins have also been used as bait to select new RNA targets. Finally, this method has been widely used to investigate or confirm previously suspected RNA-protein interactions. However, this method falls short in some aspects, such as RNA display and selection of false positive molecules. This review will summarize the results obtained with this method from the past 15years, as well as on recent efforts to improve its specificity.

Post-transfer editing by a eukaryotic leucyl-tRNA synthetase resistant to the broad-spectrum drug AN2690

Some aaRSs (aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases) develop editing mechanisms to correct mis-charged tRNA. The CP1 (connective peptide 1) domain of LeuRS (leucyl-tRNA synthetase) contains the editing active site, which is the proven target for the broad-spectrum drug AN2690 (5-fluoro-1,3-dihydro-1-hydroxy-2,1-benzoxaborole). The ESI (eukarya-specific insertion 1) in the CP1 domain of GlLeuRS (Giardia lamblia LeuRS) has been identified. Similar substitution with the ESI from HsLeuRS (Homo sapiens LeuRS) impeded the leucine activation, aminoacylation and post-transfer editing of the enzyme, but had no effect on the editing specificity toward non-specific amino acids. Thr341 in GlLeuRS served as a specificity discriminator, as found in other LeuRS systems, although its substitution with an alanine residue did not destroy Leu-tRNALeu synthesis in vitro and in vivo. The Arg338 was crucial for tRNALeu charging and the Asp440 was crucial for leucine activation and aminoacylation. The post-transfer editing required the CTD (C-terminal domain), Arg338 and Asp440 of GlLeuRS. Interestingly, GlLeuRS was completely resistant to the AN2690, which is an inhibitor of various LeuRSs. The universally conserved aspartate residue in the LeuRS CP1 domains was responsible for the resistance of GlLeuRS and another recently reported AN2690-resistant AaLeuRS (Aquifex aeolicus LeuRS). Our results indicate the functional divergence of some absolutely conserved sites, improve the understanding of the editing function of eukaryotic/archaeal LeuRSs and shed light on the development of a GlLeuRS-specific inhibitor for the treatment of giardiasis.

Functional characterization of leucine-specific domain 1 from eukaryal and archaeal leucyl-tRNA synthetases

LeuRS (leucyl-tRNA synthetase) catalyses the esterification of tRNAsLeu with leucine. This family of enzymes is divided into prokaryotic and eukaryal/archaeal groups according to the presence and position of specific insertions and extensions. In the present study, we investigated the function of LSD1 (leucine-specific domain 1), which is naturally present in eukaryal/archaeal LeuRSs, but absent from prokaryotic LeuRSs. When mutated in their common domain, the eukaryal and archaeal LeuRSs exhibited defects in the first reaction step of amino acid activation with variations of leucine or ATP-binding strength, whereas the tRNA aminoacylation was moderately affected. When the eukaryal extension was mutated, severe tRNA charging defects were observed, suggesting that eukaryotes evolved this LSD1 extension in order to improve the aminoacylation reaction step. The results also showed that the LSD1s from organisms of both groups are dispensable for post-transfer editing. Together, the data provide us with a further understanding of the organization and structure of LeuRS domains.

A unique insertion in the CP1 domain of Giardia lamblia leucyl-tRNA synthetase

Leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) catalyzes the esterification of the tRNA(Leu) isoacceptor with leucine. It contains a large insertion domain, connective peptide 1 (CP1), for amino acid editing. Here, we cloned the gene encoding LeuRS from Giardia lamblia (GlLeuRS), one of the most ancient eukaryotes. GlLeuRS was purified from an Escherichia coli overproduction strain, and its properties were investigated. The isolated CP1 domain of GlLeuRS (GlLeuRS-CP1) was an active protein for editing mischarged G. lamblia tRNA(Leu)(AAG) (GltRNA(Leu)). Insertion of 49 amino acid residues within the CP1 domain (the so-called 49-amino acid motif) was important for the optimal aminoacylation activity of GlLeuRS and was crucial for the editing capacity of GlLeuRS-CP1. Additionally, the motif can confer editing activity on the editing-defective isolated CP1 domain from E. coli LeuRS (EcLeuRS-CP1). We also found that GlLeuRS could not rescue a Saccharomyces cerevisiae leuS null strain, suggesting different recognition modes for these two LeuRSs with respect to tRNA(Leu).

A Flexible peptide tether controls accessibility of a unique C-terminal RNA-binding domain in leucyl-tRNA synthetases

A unique C-terminal domain extension is required by most leucyl-tRNA synthetases (LeuRS) for aminoacylation. In one exception, the enzymatic activity of yeast mitochondrial LeuRS is actually impeded by its own C-terminal domain. It was proposed that the yeast mitochondrial LeuRS has compromised its aminoacylation activity to some extent and adapted its C terminus for a second role in RNA splicing, which is also essential. X-ray crystal structures of the LeuRS-tRNA complex show that the 60 residue C-terminal domain is tethered to the main body of the enzyme via a flexible peptide linker and allows interactions with the tRNA(Leu) elbow. We hypothesized that this short peptide linker would facilitate rigid body movement of the C-terminal domain as LeuRS transitions between an aminoacylation and editing complex or, in the case of yeast mitochondrial LeuRS, an RNA splicing complex. The roles of the C-terminal linker peptide for Escherichia coli and yeast mitochondrial LeuRS were investigated via deletion mutagenesis as well as by introducing chimeric swaps. Deletions within the C-terminal linker of E. coli LeuRS determined that its length, rather than its sequence, was critical to aminoacylation and editing activities. Although deletions in the yeast mitochondrial LeuRS peptide linker destabilized the protein in general, more stable chimeric enzymes that contained an E. coli LeuRS C-terminal domain showed that shortening its tether stimulated aminoacylation activity. This suggested that limiting C-terminal domain accessibility to tRNA(Leu) facilitates its role in protein synthesis and may be a unique adaptation of yeast mitochondrial LeuRS that accommodates its second function in RNA splicing.

A unique insert of leucyl-tRNA synthetase is required for aminoacylation and not amino acid editing

Leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) is a class I enzyme, which houses its aminoacylation active site in a canonical core that is defined by a Rossmann nucleotide binding fold. In addition, many LeuRSs bear a unique polypeptide insert comprised of about 50 amino acids located just upstream of the conserved KMSKS sequence. The role of this leucine-specific domain (LS-domain) remains undefined. We hypothesized that this domain may be important for substrate recognition in aminoacylation and/or amino acid editing. We carried out a series of deletion mutations and chimeric swaps within the leucine-specific domain of Escherichia coli. Our results support that the leucine-specific domain is critical for aminoacylation but not required for editing activity. Kinetic analysis determined that deletion of the LS-domain primarily impacts kcat. Because of its proximity to the aminoacylation active site, we propose that this domain interacts with the tRNA during amino acid activation and/or tRNA aminoacylation. Although the leucine-specific domain does not appear to be important to the editing complex, it remains possible that it aids the dynamic translocation process that moves tRNA from the aminoacylation to the editing complex.

Functional divergence of a unique C-terminal domain of leucyl-tRNA synthetase to accommodate its splicing and aminoacylation roles

Leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) performs dual essential roles in group I intron RNA splicing as well as protein synthesis within the yeast mitochondria. Deletions of the C terminus differentially impact the two functions of the enzyme in splicing and aminoacylation in vivo. Herein, we determined that a fiveamino acid C-terminal deletion of LeuRS, which does not complement a null strain, can form a ternary complex with the bI4 intron and its maturase splicing partner. However, the complex fails to stimulate splicing activity. The x-ray co-crystal structure of LeuRS showed that a C-terminal extension of about 60 amino acids forms a discrete domain, which is unique among the LeuRSs and interacts with the corner of the L-shaped tRNALeu. Interestingly, deletion of the entire yeast mitochondrial LeuRS C-terminal domain enhanced its aminoacylation and amino acid editing activities. In striking contrast, deletion of the corresponding C-terminal domain of Escherichia coli LeuRS abolished aminoacylation of tRNALeu and also amino acid editing of mischarged tRNA molecules. These results suggest that the role of the leucine-specific C-terminal domain in tRNA recognition for aminoacylation and amino acid editing has adapted differentially and with surprisingly opposite effects. We propose that the secondary role of yeast mitochondrial LeuRS in RNA splicing has impacted the functional evolution of this critical C-terminal domain.

Expression, purification, and characterization of a new heterotetramer structure of leucyl-tRNA synthetase from Aquifex aeolicus in Escherichia coli

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are key players in the interpretation of the genetic code. They constitute a textbook example of multi-domain proteins including insertion and terminal functional modules appended to one of the two class-specific active site domains. The non-catalytic domains usually have distinct roles in the aminoacylation reaction. Aquifex aeolicus leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) is composed of a separated catalytic site and tRNA anticodon-binding site, which would represent one of the closest relics of the primordial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. Moreover, the essential catalytic site residues are split into the two different subunits. In all other class-I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, those two functional polypeptides are nowadays fused into a single protein chain. In this work, we report the isolation and the characterization, in Escherichia coli, of a novel oligomeric form (alphabeta)2 for A. aeolicus LeuRS, which is present in addition to the alphabeta heterodimer. A. aeolicus (alphabeta)2 LeuRS has been characterized by biochemical and biophysical methods. Native gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, analytical ultracentrifugation, and kinetic analysis confirmed that the (alphabeta)2 enzyme was a stable and active entity. By mass spectrometry we confirmed that the heterodimer alphabeta can bind one tRNALeu molecule whereas the heterotetramer (alphabeta)2 can bind two tRNALeu molecules. Active site titration and aminoacylation assays showed that two functional active sites are found per heterotetramer, suggesting that this molecular species might exist and be active in vivo. All those data suggest that the existence of the heterotetramer is certainly not an artifact of overexpression in E. coli.

Leucyl-tRNA synthetase from the ancestral bacterium Aquifex aeolicus contains relics of synthetase evolution

The editing reactions catalyzed by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are critical for the faithful protein synthesis by correcting misactivated amino acids and misaminoacylated tRNAs. We report that the isolated editing domain of leucyl-tRNA synthetase from the deep-rooted bacterium Aquifex aeolicus (alphabeta-LeuRS) catalyzes the hydrolytic editing of both mischarged tRNA(Leu) and minihelix(Leu). Within the domain, we have identified a crucial 20-amino-acid peptide that confers editing capacity when transplanted into the inactive Escherichia coli LeuRS editing domain. Likewise, fusion of the beta-subunit of alphabeta-LeuRS to the E. coli editing domain activates its editing function. These results suggest that alphabeta-LeuRS still carries the basic features from a primitive synthetase molecule. It has a remarkable capacity to transfer autonomous active modules, which is consistent with the idea that modern synthetases arose after exchange of small idiosyncratic domains. It also has a unique alphabeta-heterodimeric structure with separated catalytic and tRNA-binding sites. Such an organization supports the tRNA/synthetase coevolution theory that predicts sequential addition of tRNA and synthetase domains.