CHO cell mutants for arginyl-, asparagyl-, glutaminyl-, histidyl- and methionyl-transfer RNA synthetases: identification and initial characterization.
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Amino Acids↗
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A relationship between asparagine synthetase A and aspartyl tRNA synthetase.
A highly conserved protein motif characteristic of Class II aminoacyl tRNA synthetases was found to align with a region of Escherichia coli asparagine synthetase A. The alignment was most striking for aspartyl tRNA synthetase, an enzyme with catalytic similarities to asparagine synthetase. To test whether this sequence reflects a conserved function, site-directed mutagenesis was used to replace the codon for Arg298 of asparagine synthetase A, which aligns with an invariant arginine in the Class II aminoacyl tRNA synthetases. The resulting genes were expressed in E. coli, and the gene products were assayed for asparagine synthetase activity in vitro. Every substitution of Arg298, even to a lysine, resulted in a loss of asparagine synthetase activity. Directed random mutagenesis was then used to create a variety of codon changes which resulted in amino acid substitutions within the conserved motif surrounding Arg298. Of the 15 mutant enzymes with amino acid substitutions yielding soluble enzyme, 13 with changes within the conserved region were found to have lost activity. These results are consistent with the possibility that asparagine synthetase A, one of the two unrelated asparagine synthetases in E. coli, evolved from an ancestral aminoacyl tRNA synthetase.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Footprinting evidence for close contacts of the yeast tRNA(Asp) anticodon region with aspartyl-tRNA synthetase.
Chemical footprinting experiments on brewer's yeast tRNA(Asp) complexed to its cognate aspartyl-tRNA synthetase are reported: they demonstrate that bases of the anticodon loop, including the anticodon itself, are in close proximity with the synthetase. Contacts were determined using dimethylsulfate as the probe for testing reactivity of guanine and cytosine residues in free and complexed tRNA. Results correlate with the decrease in aspartylation activity of yeast tRNA(Asp) molecules mutated at these contact positions and will be compared with other structural data arising from solution and crystallographic studies on the aspartic acid complex.
Alkylation↗
Tyr-426 of the Escherichia coli asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase, an amino acid in a C-terminal conserved motif, is involved in ATP binding.
Sequence comparisons of the E. coli asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (NRSEC) with aminocyl-tRNA synthetase sequences of class II enzymes show significant homologies with aspartyl- and lysyl-tRNA synthetases. Three conserved regions were found, one of which is located in the C-terminal part of the NRSEC sequence. Site-directed mutagenesis was performed in this conserved region. A single point mutation Tyr-426----Ser results in a 15-fold increase in the Km for ATP, while all the other kinetic parameters remain unchanged. The replacement of this Tyr-426 by a Phe does not affect the kinetic behaviour of the enzyme. These data indicate that Tyr-426 is part of the ATP binding site.
Adenosine Triphosphate↗
Asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase from the Escherichia coli temperature-sensitive strain HO202. A proline replacement in motif 2 is responsible for a large increase in Km for asparagine and ATP.
The Escherichia coli K12 mutant gene, asnS40, coding for asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (AsnRS) in the temperature-sensitive strain HO202, was isolated from genomic DNA using the Polymerase Chain Reaction. DNA sequencing revealed that the mutant enzyme differs from the wild-type AsnRS by two amino acids, but only the P231L replacement leads to a change in aminoacylation activity. In the ATP-PPi exchange reaction at 37 degrees C the purified P231L enzyme has a more than 50-fold increased Km value for asparagine compared to the wild-type enzyme, while the Km value for ATP is increased 8-fold. In the aminoacylation reaction the mutant enzyme shows also significantly increased Km values for asparagine and ATP. Interestingly Pro-231 is part of the conserved motif 2 in class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (Eriani, G., Delarue, M., Poch, O., Gangloff, J. and Moras, D. (1990) Nature 347, 203-206), indicating that this motif might be involved in all class II enzymes in amino acid activation.
Acylation↗
Structure and evolution of a group of related aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.
A yeast nuclear gene, designated MSK1, has been selected from a yeast genomic library by transformation of a respiratory deficient mutant impaired in acylation of mitochondrial lysine tRNA. This gene confers a respiratory competent phenotype and restores the mutant's ability to acylate the mitochondrial lysine tRNA. The amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by MSK1 is homologous to yeast cytoplasmic lysyl-tRNA synthetase and to the product of the herC gene, which has recently been suggested to code for the Escherichia coli enzyme. These observations indicate that MSK1 codes for the lysyl-tRNA synthetase of yeast mitochondria. Several regions of high primary sequence conservation have been identified in the bacterial and yeast lysyl-tRNA synthetases. These domains are also present in the aspartyl- and asparaginyl-tRNA synthetases, further confirming the notion that all three present-day enzymes originated from a common ancestral gene. The most conserved domain, located near the carboxyl terminal ends of this group of synthetases is characterized by a cluster of glycines and is also highly homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of the E. coli ammonia-dependent asparagine synthetase. A catalytic function of the carboxyl terminal domain is indicated by in vitro mutagenesis of the yeast mitochondrial lysyl-tRNA synthetase. Replacement of any one of three glycine residues by alanine and in one case by aspartic acid completely suppresses the activity of the enzymes, as evidenced by the inability of the mutant genes to complement an msk1 mutant, even when present in high copy. Other mutations result in partial loss of activity. Only one glycine replacement affects the stability of the protein in vivo. The observed presence of a homologous domain in asparagine synthetase, which, like the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, catalyzes the formation of an aminoacyladenylate, suggests that the glycine-rich sequence is part of a catalytic site involved in binding of ATP and of the aminoacyladenylate intermediate.
Adenosine Triphosphate↗
Crystallization of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase-tRNA(Asp) complex from Escherichia coli and first crystallographic results.
Crystals of the dimeric aspartyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli (molecular mass 132,000 Da) complexed with its cognate tRNA (molecular mass 25,000 Da) have been grown using ammonium sulfate as precipitant. The crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group C222(1) with unit cell parameters a = 102.75 A, b = 128.11 A, c = 231.70 A and diffract to 3 A. The asymmetric unit contains one monomer of the aspartyl-tRNA synthetase and one tRNA molecule.
Aspartate-tRNA Ligase↗
Effect of conformational features on the aminoacylation of tRNAs and consequences on the permutation of tRNA specificities.
The structure and function of in vitro transcribed tRNA(Asp) variants with inserted conformational features characteristic of yeast tRNA(Phe), such as the length of the variable region or the arrangement of the conserved residues in the D-loop, have been investigated. Although they exhibit significant conformational alterations as revealed by Pb2+ treatment, these variants are still efficiently aspartylated by yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. Thus, this synthetase can accommodate a variety of tRNA conformers. In a second series of variants, the identity determinants of yeast tRNA(Phe) were transplanted into the previous structural variants of tRNA(Asp). The phenylalanine acceptance of these variants improves with increasing the number of structural characteristics of tRNA(Phe), suggesting that phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase is sensitive to the conformational frame embedding the cognate identity nucleotides. These results contrast with the efficient transplantation of tRNA(Asp) identity elements into yeast tRNA(Phe). This indicates that synthetases respond differently to the detailed conformation of their tRNA substrates. Efficient aminoacylation is not only dependent on the presence of the set of identity nucleotides, but also on a precise conformation of the tRNA.
Aspartate-tRNA Ligase↗
Location of a mutation in the aspartyl-tRNA synthetase gene of Escherichia coli K12.
A mutation (tls-1) that confers a temperature-sensitive growth phenotype in Escherichia coli was shown by DNA cloning and sequencing to be an allele of aspS, the gene for aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. The mutation, which lies near minute 41 on the genetic map, was located some 2.3 kb from the 5' end of the ruvAB operon. A DNA fragment encoding the carboxy-terminus of AspRS was found to be sufficient to allow growth of a tls-1 strain at the non-permissive temperature.
Alleles↗
The fidelity of protein synthesis: can mischarging by aspartyl-tRNA(Asp) synthetase lead to the formation of isoaspartyl residues in proteins?
We have tested the hypothesis that isoaspartic acid residues in proteins can arise via errors that occur during protein synthesis. One such error involves a mischarging step in which the aspartic acid side-chain beta-carboxyl group is linked to the tRNA(Asp) instead of the main chain alpha-carboxyl group. If this altered Asp-tRNA(Asp) is a substrate for the ribosomal elongation reactions, a polypeptide will be made with an isoaspartic acid, or beta-linkage, in which the peptide chain is branched at the side chain of the aspartic acid residue. Using an ammonium sulfate fraction of aspartyl-tRNA(Asp) synthetase from Escherichia coli and [3H]aspartic acid, we have prepared [3H]aspartyl-tRNA(Asp) complexes and directly analyzed the linkage of the [3H]aspartate to the tRNA by identifying the products of ammonolysis. Normal attachment of the alpha-carboxyl group of aspartate to the tRNA produces [3H]isoasparagine, while the mischarging reaction leads to [3H]asparagine formation after ammonolysis. We have separated [3H]isoasparagine from [3H]asparagine and found an upper limit of 1 asparagine per 10,000 isoasparagines. These results show that the bacterial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase can very accurately distinguish between the alpha- and beta-carboxyl groups of aspartic acid and suggest that only a very small fraction of the isoaspartic acid residues found to occur in cellular proteins may be the result of mischarging steps.
Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases↗
Exploring the aminoacylation function of transfer RNA by macromolecular engineering approaches. Involvement of conformational features in the charging process of yeast tRNA(Asp).
This report presents the conceptual and methodological framework that presently underlies the experiments designed to decipher the structural features in tRNA important for its aminoacylation by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. It emphasizes the importance of conformational features in tRNA for an optimized aminoacylation. This is illustrated by selected examples on yeast tRNA(Asp). Using the phage T7 transcriptional system, a series of tRNA(Asp) variants were created in which conformational elements were modified. It is shown that aspartyl-tRNA synthetase tolerates conformational variability in tRNA(Asp) at the level of the D-loop and variable region, of the tertiary Levitt base-pair 15-48 which can be inverted and in the T-arm in which residue 49 can be excised. However, changing the anticodon region completely abolishes the aspartylation capacity of the variants. Transplanting the phenylalanine identity elements into a different tRNA(Asp) variant presenting conformational characteristics of tRNA(Phe) converts this molecule into a phenylalanine acceptor but is less efficient than wild-type tRNA(Phe). This engineered tRNA completely loses its aspartylation capacity, showing that some aspartic acid and phenylalanine identity determinants overlap. The fact that chimeric tRNA(Asp) molecules with altered anticodon regions lose their aspartylation capacity demonstrates that this region is part of the aspartic acid identity of tRNA(Asp).
Aspartate-tRNA Ligase↗
Identification of structurally and functionally important histidine residues in cytoplasmic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Cytoplasmic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an alpha 2 dimer (alpha, Mr 63,000), each alpha containing 12 histidines. The covalent incorporation of 6-7 mol of diethyl pyrocarbonate per monomer corresponded to complete enzyme inactivation. This inactivation was reversed by hydroxylamine hydrolysis which regenerates free histidine (and tyrosine) while leaving the carbethoxy group still attached to the epsilon-amino group of lysine. Three histidines, one tyrosine, and four lysines were the main targets of the reagent. Site-directed mutagenesis was also tried to replace each of these modified residues. Given the unstability of the carbethoxy-imidazole bond, the nine histidines that were not modified by diethyl pyrocarbonate were mutated too. For these experiments, the enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli by using a vector bearing the structural gene in which the first 13 codons were replaced by the first 14 of the CII lambda gene. This substitution had no effect on the kinetic parameters. The combined results of chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis show that one histidine seems to be part of the active site while two others play an important structural role. On the other hand, labeled lysines and tyrosine are nonessential residues. These results are discussed in light of two recent articles establishing the existence of a second family of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases devoid of the HIGH and KMSKS consensus sequences and containing no Rossmann's domain in their three-dimensional structures.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Familiar strangers.
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Aspartate-tRNA Ligase↗
Determinant nucleotides of yeast tRNA(Asp) interact directly with aspartyl-tRNA synthetase.
The interaction of wild-type and mutant yeast tRNA(Asp) transcripts with yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (AspRS; EC 6.1.1.12) has been probed by using iodine cleavage of phosphorothioate-substituted transcripts. AspRS protects phosphates in the anticodon (G34, U35), D-stem (U25), and acceptor end (G73) that correspond to determinant nucleotides for aspartylation. This protection, as well as that in anticodon stem (C29, U40, G41) and D-stem (U11 to U13), is consistent with direct interaction of AspRS at these phosphates. Other protection, in the variable loop (G45), D-loop (G18, G19), and T-stem and loop (G53, U54, U55), as well as enhanced reactivity at G37, may result from conformational changes of the transcript upon binding to AspRS. Transcripts mutated at determinant positions showed a loss of phosphate protection in the region of the mutation while maintaining the global protection pattern. The ensemble of results suggests that aspartylation specificity arises from both protein-base and protein-phosphate contacts and that different regions of tRNA(Asp) interact independently with AspRS. A mutant transcript of yeast tRNA(Phe) that contains the set of identity nucleotides for specific aspartylation gave a phosphate protection pattern strikingly similar to that of wild-type tRNA(Asp). This confirms that a small number of nucleotides within a different tRNA sequence context can direct specific interaction with synthetase.
Aspartate-tRNA Ligase↗
Aspartyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli: cloning and characterisation of the gene, homologies of its translated amino acid sequence with asparaginyl- and lysyl-tRNA synthetases.
By screening of an Escherichia coli plasmidic library using antibodies against aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (AspRS) several clones were obtained containing aspS, the gene coding for AspRS. We report here the nucleotide sequence of aspS and the corresponding primary structure of the aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, a protein of 590 amino acid residues with a Mr 65,913, a value in close agreement with that observed for the purified protein. Primer extension analysis of the aspS mRNA using reverse transcriptase located its 5'-end at 94 nucleotides upstream of the translation initiation AUG; nuclease S1 analysis located the 3'-end at 126 nucleotides downstream of the stop codon UGA. Comparison of the DNA-derived protein sequence with known aminoacyl-tRNA sequences revealed important homologies with asparaginyl- and lysyl-tRNA synthetases from E.coli; more than 25% of their amino acid residues are identical, the homologies being distributed preferencially in the first part and the carboxy-terminal end of the molecule. Mutagenesis directed towards a consensus tetrapeptide (Gly-Leu-Asp-Arg) and the carboxy-terminal end showed that both domains could be implicated in catalysis as well as in ATP binding.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Heavy-atom refinement against solvent-flattened phases.
A new algorithm for refinement of heavy-atom parameters is defined by an iterative procedure where external phases are provided by density modification. This algorithm is applied to two cases, tRNA(Asp) and the complex between tRNA(Asp) and aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. In the first case, where the structure was solved by multiple isomorphous replacement (MIR) methods, it was found that the new method gives accurate values for the native-derivative scale and four occupancy of heavy-atom sites. Position refinement was more delicate and it needed to be handled in a restricted resolution range. In the second case, where a similar method was used in the early stages of solving the phase problem, it slightly decreased the phase error. It was followed by an improvement of the density-modification masks, which led to better maps at higher resolution.
Algorithms↗
The three cysteine residues of cytoplasmic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae are not essential for its activity.
Cytoplasmic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a dimer made up of identical subunits (Mr 63,000) each of these containing three cysteines (residues 255, 512 and 519 in the amino acid sequence). Thiol-specific probes were used to label these cysteines and study the resulting effect of the modification on the kinetic parameters of both the ATP/PPi exchange and tRNA aminoacylation reactions. Using the classical techniques of protein chemistry it was shown that none of the three cysteines was labelled with iodoacetic acid, whilst N-ethylmaleimide and 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) reacted with Cys512 and Cys255, respectively. Only the latter modification was accompanied by a decrease in the rates of both enzyme activities whilst the Km values for the various substrates remained unaffected. Site-directed mutagenesis was also used to replace each of the three cysteines by other residues, either individually or simultaneously. For these experiments the enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli using an expression vector bearing the structural gene in which the first 13 codons were replaced by the first 14 of the CII lambda gene. The resulting substitution in the amino-terminal part of the expressed enzyme had no effect on the kinetic parameters, compared to those of the enzyme purified from S. cerevisiae. Taking into account the consequences of such substitutions, as well as those of chemical modifications on the two reactions catalysed by the enzyme. ATP/PPi exchange and tRNA aminoacylation, it could be concluded that none of these three cysteines plays any essential role in either substrate binding or catalysis.
Adenosine Triphosphate↗
Cytoplasmic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Study of its functional organisation by deletion analysis.
Aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (AspRS) from yeast, a homodimer of 125 kDa, was shortened by several residues from the C- and N-termini, via site-directed mutagenesis, to examine the contribution of the removed peptides to the enzyme properties. This study showed that the N-terminal sequence up to amino acid 70 (which confers peculiar ionic properties to the protein) is dispensable for activity. Domains located beyond amino acid 70 appeared to have increasing catalytic importance; the removal of 80 or 90 residues affected the Km values for ATP and deletions of 101 or 140 amino acids profoundly modified the physiochemical properties of AspRS, and by consequence, its structural organisation (extraction of the mutated proteins out of the cells required the presence of SDS). On the C-terminal side, very limited modifications readily affected the enzyme properties. Deletion of as few as three residues increased the Km for ATP and reduced the aminoacylation kcat as well as the thermostability of the adenylate synthesis activity; the kcat of this step was impaired after deletion of two further residues. Finally, shortening the C-terminal decapeptide completely inactivated AspRS, whilst affecting neither its affinity for tRNAAsp nor its dimerisation capacity. These data reveal the role of the C-terminal decapeptide as a determinant in both reactions catalysed by AspRS. This peptide is involved in ATP binding, stabilising the functional conformation of the amino-acid-activating domain and probably maintaining the tRNA-acceptor end in a reactive position with regard to the activated amino acid.
Adenosine Triphosphate↗