The methylated purines of Tetrahymena pyriformis transfer ribonucleic acid

Fidelity of the eukaryotic codon-anticodon interaction: interference by aminoglycoside antibiotics

A homologous in vitro method was developed from Tetrahymena for ribosomal A-site binding of aminoacyl-tRNA to poly(uridylic acid)-programmed ribosomes with very low error frequency. The reaction mixture pH was the crucial factor in the stable A-site association of aminoacyl-tRNA with high fidelity. At a pH greater than 7.1, endogenous activity translocated A-site-bound aminoacyl-tRNA to the P site. If translocation was allowed to occur, a near-cognate amino-acyl-tRNA, Leu-tRNA, could stably bind to the ribosome by translocation to the ribosomal P site. Near-cognate aminoacyl-tRNA did not stably bind to either site when translocation was blocked. Misreading antibiotics stimulated the stable association of near-cognate aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosomal A site, thereby increasing the error frequency by several orders of magnitude. Ribosome binding of total aminoacyl-tRNA near equilibrium was not inhibited by misreading antibiotics; however, initial rate kinetics of the binding reaction were dramatically altered such that a 6-fold rate increase was observed with paromomycin or hygromycin B. The rate increase was evident with both cognate and near-cognate aminoacyl-tRNAs. Several antibiotics were tested for misreading potency by the ribosome binding method. We found gentamicin G418 greater than paromomycin greater than neomycin greater than hygromycin B greater than streptomycin in the potentiation of misreading. Tetracycline group antibiotics effectively inhibited A-site aminoacyl-tRNA binding without promoting misreading.

Inhibition of growth and purine-metabolizing enzymes of trypanosomid flagellates by N6-methyladenine

N6-methyladenine (6-methylaminopurine [6-MA]), a plant growth regulator and a normal constituent of nucleic acids, has been found to inhibit the growth of Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania braziliensis, L. donovani, L. tarentolae, L. mexicana, and Crithidia fasciculata. The extent of growth inhibition in these organisms is related to the sensitivity of guanine deaminase (guanine aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.3), adenine deaminase (adenine aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.2), and adenosine hydrolase and phosphorylase. 6-MA was not an inhibitor of the purine phosphoribosyltransferases. Of the trypanosomid flagellates tested. Trypanosoma cruzi was most susceptible to 6-MA. Neither adenine deaminase (as found in the leishmaniae and C. fasciculata) nor adenosine deaminase (as found in mammalian cells) could be demonstrated in T. cruzi. Guanine deaminase, which is strikingly inhibited by 6-MA in T. cruzi, appears to play a major role in the purine salvage pathway of this organism, as judged from growth experiments and enzyme inhibition studies. Enzyme sensitivities to 6-MA vary greatly depending upon the organism. Rabbit liver guanine deaminase was shown to be insensitive to 6-MA at the concentrations used in this study.