Winther KS, Roghanian M, Gerdes K. Activation of the Stringent Response by Loading of RelA-tRNA Complexes at the Ribosomal A-Site.
Mol Cell 2019;
70:95-105.e4. [PMID:
29625042 DOI:
10.1016/j.molcel.2018.02.033]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
RelA/SpoT homologs (RSHs) are ubiquitous bacterial enzymes that synthesize and hydrolyze (p)ppGpp in response to environmental challenges. Bacteria cannot survive in hosts and produce infection without activating the (p)ppGpp-mediated stringent response, but it is not yet understood how the enzymatic activities of RSHs are controlled. Using UV crosslinking and deep sequencing, we show that Escherichia coli RelA ((p)ppGpp synthetase I) interacts with uncharged tRNA without being activated. Amino acid starvation leads to loading of cognate tRNA⋅RelA complexes at vacant ribosomal A-sites. In turn, RelA is activated and synthesizes (p)ppGpp. Mutation of a single, conserved residue in RelA simultaneously prevents tRNA binding, ribosome binding, and activation of RelA, showing that all three processes are interdependent. Our results support a model in which (p)ppGpp synthesis occurs by ribosome-bound RelA interacting with the Sarcin-Ricin loop of 23S rRNA.
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