Allotropism in aspartyl-tRNA synthetase from procine thyroid

Cloning and characterization of cDNA encoding a human arginyl-tRNA synthetase

Arginyl-tRNA synthetase (ArgRS) plays a key role in protein synthesis as part of a multienzyme complex with a number of other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS) enzymes. We have isolated a full-length cDNA encoding ArgRS as part of a project on complementation of radiosensitivity in human cells with an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) vector-based human cDNA library. DNA sequence analysis identified an open reading frame of 1983 nucleotides with 87% homology to other mammalian ArgRS genes. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequence (661 aa) showed 87.7% identity to the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) enzyme and 37.7% identity to the homologous Escherichia coli enzyme. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of a single mRNA species of approx. 2.2 kb. The results described here demonstrate that ArgRS is highly conserved in mammalian cells and confirm the presence of a hydrophobic N-terminal region in the higher-molecular-weight complexed form of ArgRS.

The microheterogeneity of the crystallizable yeast cytoplasmic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase

Yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase is a dimeric enzyme (alpha 2, Mr 125,000) which can be crystallized either alone or complexed with tRNAAsp. When analyzed by electrophoretic methods, the pure enzyme presents structural heterogeneities even when recovered from crystals. Up to three enzyme populations could be identified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and more than ten by isoelectric focusing. They have similar molecular masses and mainly differ in their charge. All are fully active. This microheterogeneity is also revealed by ion-exchange chromatography and chromatofocusing. Several levels of heterogeneity have been defined. A first type, which is reversible, is linked to redox effects and/or to conformational states of the protein. A second one, revealed by immunological methods, is generated by partial and differential proteolysis occurring during enzyme purification from yeast cells harvested in growth phase. As demonstrated by end-group analysis, the fragmentation concerns exclusively the N-terminal end of the enzyme. The main cleavage points are Gln-19, Val-20 and Gly-26. Six minor cuts are observed between positions 14 and 33. The present data are discussed in the perspective of the crystallographic studies on aspartyl-tRNA synthetase.

Comparison of the enzymatic behavior of high molecular weight and free lysyl-tRNA synthetase from rat liver: kinetic analysis of lysylation of tRNA

Lysyl-tRNA synthetase occurs in the high molecular weight form in rat liver. The high molecular weight lysyl-tRNA synthetase has been previously demonstrated to exist as multienzyme complexes of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. The multienzyme complexes can be dissociated by hydrophobic interaction chromatography and yield fully active, free lysyl-tRNA synthetase. The free form is found to be twice as active as the complexed form in lysylation. Bisubstrate and product inhibition kinetics of lysylation are systematically carried out for highly purified free lysyl-tRNA synthetase and the 18 S synthetase complex. Surprisingly, the two enzyme forms exhibit distinctly different kinetic patterns in bisubstrate and product inhibition kinetics under identical conditions. The 18 S synthetase complex shows kinetic patterns consistent with an ordered bi uni uni bi ping pong mechanism, while the results of free lysyl-tRNA synthetase do not. We conclude that structural organization of lysyl-tRNA synthetase beyond quaternary structure of proteins may alter the enzyme behavior.

The eucaryotic aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex: suggestions for its structure and function

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases from eucaryotic cells generally are isolated as high molecular weight complexes comprised of multiple synthetase activities, and often containing other components as well. A model is proposed for the synthetase complex in which hydrophobic extensions on the proteins serve to maintain them in their high molecular weight form, but are not needed for catalytic activity. The structural similarity of these enzymes to certain membrane-bound proteins, and its implications for synthetase localization and function in vivo, are discussed.

Large scale purification and structural properties of yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase

A large scale purification procedure of baker's yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase is described which yields more than 200 mg pure protein starting from 30 Kg of wet commercial cells. The synthetase is an alpha 2 dimer of Mr = 125,000 +/- 5,000 which can be crystallized (J. Mol. Biol. 138, 1980, 129-135). The enzyme has an elongated shape with a Stokes radius of 50 A and a frictional ratio of 1.5. The synthetase has a tendency to aggregate but methods are described where this effect is overcome.

The ribonuclease inhibitors from porcine thyroid and liver are slow, tight-binding inhibitors of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A

Ribonuclease inhibitors were purified from the latent ribonuclease fractions of porcine thyroid and liver and used to test the hypothesis that their inhibition of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A is correctly described by tight-binding rather than Michaelis-Menton kinetics. Both proteins were found to act as slow, tight-binding inhibitors of the enzyme. These steady-state velocities also showed that both the thyroid and liver inhibitors were competitive inhibitors of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A with Ki's of 0.1 and 0.4 nM, respectively. In contrast to interpretations based on Michaelis-Menton assumptions that show non-competitive inhibition, these results suggest that an enzyme:inhibitor:substrate complex does not exist.

Porcine thyroid cytosolic, latent, alkaline, ribonuclease: does an acidification step during purification alter the enzyme's properties?

The effect of an acidic step in the purification of porcine thyroid, latent, alkaline ribonuclease was studied using highly purified acid-treated and non-acid-treated enzymes. The enzymes differed by affinity and CM-cellulose chromatography, specific activity, in distribution among multiple forms, in response to some mono- and divalent salts, in degree of inhibition by p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonate and ribonuclease inhibitor, in activity toward poly (U). The acid-treated enzyme was very heterogeneous as shown by chromatography on affinity and ion-exchange columns and electrophoresis. The enzymes had similar molecular weights, pH optima, ionic strength effects, general specificity and products.

Macromolecular complex of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases from sheep liver. Identification of the methionyl-tRNA synthetase component by affinity labeling

Both the tRNA aminoacylation and amino-acid-dependent ATP-PPi exchange activities of monomeric trypsin-modified methionyl-tRNA synthetase from sheep liver are lost upon incubation with oxidized initiator tRNAMet. The inactivation, which reflects the formation of a Schiff's base between the 5'-terminal adenosine of tRNA and a lysine within the catalytic site of the enzyme, is accompanied by the covalent attachment of one tRNA molecule per enzyme molecule. The affinity labeling method is applied to the sheep liver complex of Mr 10(6) carrying seven aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase activities, from which the monomeric trypsin-modified methionyl-tRNA synthetase (Mr 68 000) was derived. Upon incubation with oxidized initiator tRNAMet, the methionyl-tRNA synthetase activity of the complex is lost. Of the eleven polypeptide chains composing the high-molecular-weight complex, only one polypeptide chain with Mr 103 000 reacts with the modified tRNAMet. The blocking by periodate-treated tRNA of the methionyl-tRNA synthetase activity in the complex has no effect on the other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase activities. This strongly argues in favor of the independent parallel functioning of the seven aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases associated in a high-molecular-weight complex.