The biologic activity of enzymically-altered E. Coli transfer RNA.
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The microinjection of transfer RNA into amphibian oocytes permits one to study under in vivo conditions the reactions that affect this important macromolecule. A comparative study has been carried out between the in vivo and in vitro specificity of the aminoacylation reacton. The results obtained show that modifications of the tRNA structure affect aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase recognition in the same fashion in both conditions. The in vivo aminoacylation was not affected by the presence of puromycin (0.5mM) or cycloheximide (0.1 mM) which completely inhibited oocyte protein synthesis. An interesting difference was obtained between the in vivo and in vitro aminoacylation of tRNA with regards to temperature requirements. While the in vivo reaction was optimal at 25 degrees and was totally inhibited at 37 degrees, the in vitro was optimal, at the latter temperature. The inhibition of the in vivo reaction at 37 degrees was not due to inactivation of the enzyme. The transfer of the amino acid moiety to nascent proteins was studied by measuring the transfer of radioactivity from injected (14C) phenylalanyl-tRNA into hot trichloroacetic acid precipitable material. It was found that 30% or more of the amino acid became incorporated into oocyte proteins and that this incorporation was due to direct transfer from the aminoacyl-tRNA and was inhibited by puromycin and cycloheximide.
A single G3.U70 base pair in the acceptor helix is a major determinant of the identity of an alanine transfer RNA. Alteration of this base pair to A.U or G.C prevents aminoacylation with alanine. We show here that, at approximate physiological conditions (pH 7.5, 37 degrees C), high concentrations of the mutant A3.U70 species do not inhibit aminoacylation of a wild-type alanine tRNA. The observation suggests that, under these conditions, the G3 to A3 substitution increases Km for tRNA by more than 30-fold. Other experiments at pH 7.5 show that no aminoacylation of A3.U70, G3.C70, or U3.G70 mutant tRNAs occurs with substrate levels of enzyme. This suggests that kcat for these mutant tRNAs is sharply reduced as well and that the catalytic defect is not due to slow release of charged mutant tRNAs from the enzyme. Investigations were also done at pH 5.5, where association of tRNAs with synthetases is generally stronger and where binding can be conveniently measured apart from aminoacylation. Under these conditions, the binding of the A3.U70 and G3.C70 species is readily detected and is only 3-5-fold weaker than the binding of the wild-type tRNA. Although the A3.U70 species was demonstrated to compete with the wild-type tRNA for the same site on the enzyme, no aminoacylation could be detected. Thus, even when conditions are adjusted to obtain strong competitive binding, a sharp reduction in kcat prevents aminoacylation of a tRNA(Ala) species with a substitution at position 3.70.
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The specificity of tRNA(Arg) (arginine transfer RNA) for aminoacylation (its acceptor identity) were first identified by computer analysis and then examined with amber suppressor tRNAs in Escherichia coli. On replacing two nucleotides in tRNA(Phe) (phenylalanine transfer RNA) with the corresponding nucleotides from tRNA(Arg), the acceptor identity of the resulting tRNA was changed to that of tRNA(Arg). The nucleotides used in the identity transformation occupy a "variable pocket" structure on the surface of the tRNA molecule where two single-stranded loop segments interact. The middle nucleotide in the anticodon also probably contributes to the interaction, since an amber suppressor of tRNA(Arg) had an acceptor identity for lysine as well as arginine.
Three isomorphous heavy-atom derivatives have been obtained of orthorhombic crystals of phenylalanine transfer RNA from yeast. These derivatives contain osmium, samarium, and platinum. The positions of the heavy atoms have been determined; these have been used to calculate a three-dimensional electron-density map of transfer RNA at a resolution of 5.5 A. The map shows a high contrast between the molecular boundaries and the solvent areas, so that most of the external shape of the molecule can be determined. The molecule appears to be 92 A long and to have a width varying from 16 A to 34 A. There are some narrow regions in the molecule that connect more globular regions. The electron density map shows chains of dense objects approximately 6 A apart that are probably due to adjacent phosphate groups on the polynucleotide chain. At the present stage of the analysis it is not possible to trace the entire backbone unambiguously; however, the data at this resolution suggest no apparent similarity between the folding of the molecule and any of the tertiary structure models proposed for transfer RNA.
It has previously been shown that 4S RNA is transported in the optic nerve of the chick, but that no movement of rRNA can be detected. The 4S component behaved as though it were composed mainly of transfer RNA (tRNA), but the possibility remained that it could contain significant amounts of material resulting from RNA degradation. The transport of this 4S component has been examined in more detail to determine its nature. In addition, the transported material was examined to establish whether the transport of tRNA is a general phenomenon or that there are only a limited number of species involved. This was done using the same principles applied in the previous study; i.e., the specific activities of separated 4S RNA species appearing in the optic tectum 4 days after intraocular injection of [3H]uridine were compared with that of 5S RNA, a nontransported species. The separation was accomplished using 2.8-5-10-17% slab polyacrylamide gels, and 18 separate regions of 4S species could be identified. The results show that at least most, if not all 4S RNA species are transported. In a separate series of experiments the 4S RNA was aminoacylated and again separated on slab gels. In this instance, the RNA was labelled with [3H]uridine and the aminoacyl component with [14C]amino acids. Gel profiles of these dual-labelled components showed excellent correspondence between the two labels, demonstrating that 4S RNA species could be aminoacylated and were therefore tRNA species.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Two isoacceptor transfer RNA's for lysine were found in rabbit reticulocytes. The codon recognition properties of these isoacceptors were studied in hemoglobin synthesis in a cell-free systemn. The two isoacceptors transferred lysine into different sites in hemoglobin, but showed no preference for one chain over the other. Codon cross recognition was less than 4 percent.
Transfer RNA was isolated from calvaria prepared from chick embryos incubated for 15-17 days. The chargeability of the unfractionated tRNA with ten amino acids tested was very similar to that of unfractionated tRNA from adult chicken liver when data were expressed on the basis of pmoles of amino acceptance per A260 unit of tRNA. However, the relative amount of tRNA in calvaria is only about one-fourth the amount in liver. Analysis of individual species of tRNA by two-dimensional electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels shows that there are fewer isoaccepting species of tRNA in calvaria than in liver.
We have compared mitochondrial transfer RNA from cultured human (HeLa) and hamster(BHK) cells, giving emphasis to distinctive properties previously noted for the BHK system. Both HeLa and BHK mitochondrial tRNA sedimented slower, and had lower mobilities in "warm" acrylamide gels, than their cytoplasmic counterparts, suggesting that both mitochondrial tRNA populations have unusually loose configurations. HeLa mitochondrial tRNA was found to contain 2.8 methyl groups per 100 nucleotides compared to 8.7 for cytoplasmic, figures similar to previous BHK results. Both mitochondrial tRNA populations were notably deficient in 7-methylguanine, methylribose, and methylated pyrimidines. We propose that mitochondrial tRNA (or perhaps animal mitochondrial tRNA) constitutes a distinct evolutionary class.
Levels of transfer RNA (tRNA) were determined in liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, heart, and brain of young (35-day), adult (12-month) and old (24-month) female C57BL/6J mice. Kidney and liver showed little change in tRNA levels between young and adult mice, but the levels decreased in old mice. Skeletal muscle tRNA decreased steadily from young to old mice. Heart tRNA increased during maturation to adult organisms and then decreased in old individuals. Brain levels of tRNA increased steadily. No age-related change in the rate of transport of orotic acid into cells was observed. However, all tissues exhibited a decrease in uridine pools between adult and old mice. Most importantly, all tissues of aging mice showed a decrease in the rate of tRNA synthesis.
Sequence placement of post-transcriptionally modified nucleosides in tRNA can be experimentally difficult, particularly in cases involving new or unexpected modifications or sequence sites. We describe a mass spectrometry-based approach to this problem, involving the following steps: crude isolations of one or several tRNAs by HPLC from an unfractionated tRNA mixture; digestion to oligonucleotide mixtures by RNase T1; analysis by combined HPLC/electrospray ionization-MS for recognition of modifications; and direct gas-phase sequencing of selected targets in the mixture by LC/MS/MS. Isoacceptor identity can be established in favorable cases when tRNA gene sequences are available.
The interaction of Escherichia coli threonyl-transfer RNA (tRNA) synthetase with the leader sequence of its own messenger RNA inhibits ribosome binding, resulting in negative translational feedback regulation. The leader sequence resembles the substrate (tRNA(Thr)) of the enzyme, and the nucleotides that mediate the correct recognition of the leader and the tRNA may be the same. A mutation suggested by tRNA identity rules that switches the resemblance of the leader sequence from tRNA(Thr) to tRNA(Met) causes the translation of the threonyl-tRNA synthetase messenger RNA to become regulated by methionyl-tRNA synthetase. This identity swap in the leader messenger RNA indicates that tRNA identity rules may be extended to interactions of synthetases with other RNAs.
The nucleotide sequence of " denaturable"leucine acceptor transfer RNA (tRNA(Leu)(3)) from baker's yeast was determined on (32)P-labeled material. The molecule is 85 nucleotides long and can be folded into the "cloverleaf" model for secondary structure. The basis on which the sequence was deduced from the products of complete enzymatic digestion, prior to its unambiguous determination, is presented.
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We have sequenced a methionine tRNA from mosquito mitochondria, and examined its structure using nucleases S1 and T1 under non-denaturing conditions. The sequence is highly homologous to a putative initiator methionine tRNA gene from Drosophila mitochondria. Its anticodon stem contains a run of three G-C base pairs that is characteristic of conventional initiator tRNAs; however, nuclease S1 analysis suggested an anticodon loop configuration characteristic of conventional elongator tRNAs. We propose that this tRNA can assume both initiator and elongator roles.
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