Growth inhibition of Escherichia coli during heterologous expression of Bacillus subtilis glutamyl-tRNA synthetase that catalyzes the formation of mischarged glutamyl-tRNA1 Gln

It is known that Bacillus subtilis glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS) mischarges E. coli tRNA1 Gln with glutamate in vitro. It has also been established that the expression of B. subtilis GluRS in Escherichia coli results in the death of the host cell. To ascertain whether E. coli growth inhibition caused by B. subtilis GluRS synthesis is a consequence of Glu-tRNA1 Ghn formation, we constructed an in vivo test system, in which B. subtilis GluRS gene expression is controlled by IPTG. Such a system permits the investigation of factors affecting E. coli growth. Expression of E. coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) also ameliorated growth inhibition, presumably by competitively preventing tRNA1 Gln misacylation. However, when amounts of up to 10 mM L-glutamine, the cognate amino acid for acylation of tRNA1 Gln, were added to the growth medium, cell growth was unaffected. Overexpression of the B. subtilis gatCAB gene encoding Glu-tRNAGln amidotransferase (Glu-AdT) rescued cells from toxic effects caused by the formation of the mischarging GluRS. This result indicates that B. subtilis Glu-AdT recognizes the mischarged E. coli GlutRNA1 Gln, and converts it to the cognate Gln-tRNA1 Gln species. B. subtilis GluRS-dependent Glu-tRNA1 Gln formation may cause growth inhibition in the transformed E. coli strain, possibly due to abnormal protein synthesis.     

Structural basis for anticodon recognition by discriminating glutamyl-tRNA synthetase

Glutamyl-tRNA synthetases (GluRSs) are divided into two distinct types, with regard to the presence or absence of glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) in the genetic translation systems. In the original 19-synthetase systems lacking GlnRS, the 'non-discriminating' GluRS glutamylates both tRNAGlu and tRNAGln. In contrast, in the evolved 20-synthetase systems with GlnRS, the 'discriminating' GluRS aminoacylates only tRNAGlu. Here we report the 2.4 A resolution crystal structure of a 'discriminating' GluRS.tRNAGlu complex from Thermus thermophilus. The GluRS recognizes the tRNAGlu anticodon bases via two alpha-helical domains, maintaining the base stacking. We show that the discrimination between the Glu and Gln anticodons (34YUC36 and 34YUG36, respectively) is achieved by a single arginine residue (Arg 358). The mutation of Arg 358 to Gln resulted in a GluRS that does not discriminate between the Glu and Gln anticodons. This change mimics the reverse course of GluRS evolution from anticodon 'non-dicsriminating' to 'discriminating'.     

Divergent anticodon recognition in contrasting glutamyl-tRNA synthetases

The pathogenic bacterium Helicobacter pylori utilizes two essential glutamyl-tRNA synthetases (GluRS1 and GluRS2). These two enzymes are closely related in evolution and yet they aminoacylate contrasting tRNAs. GluRS1 is a canonical discriminating GluRS (D-GluRS) that biosynthesizes Glu-tRNA(Glu) and cannot make Glu-tRNA(Gln). In contrast, GluRS2 is non-canonical as it is only essential for the production of misacylated Glu-tRNA(Gln). The co-existence and evident divergence of these two enzymes was capitalized upon to directly examine how GluRS2 acquired tRNA(Gln) specificity. One key feature that distinguishes tRNA(Glu) from tRNA(Gln) is the third position in the anticodon of each tRNA (C36 versus G36, respectively). By comparing sequence alignments of different GluRSs, including GluRS1s and GluRS2s, to the crystal structure of the Thermus thermophilus D-GluRS:tRNA(Glu) complex, a divergent pattern of conservation in enzymes that aminoacylate tRNA(Glu)versus those specific for tRNA(Gln) emerged and was experimentally validated. In particular, when an arginine conserved in discriminating GluRSs and GluRS1s was inserted into Hp GluRS2 (Glu334Arg GluRS2), the catalytic efficiency of the mutant enzyme (k(cat)/K(Mapp)) was reduced by approximately one order of magnitude towards tRNA(Gln). However, this mutation did not introduce activity towards tRNA(Glu). In contrast, disruption of a glycine that is conserved in all GluRS2s but not in other GluRSs (Gly417Thr GluRS2) generated a mutant GluRS2 with weak activity towards tRNA(Glu1). Synergy between these two mutations was observed in the double mutant (Glu334Arg/Gly417Thr GluRS2), which specifically and more robustly aminoacylates tRNA(Glu1) instead of tRNA(Gln). As GluRS1 and GluRS2 are related by an apparent gene duplication event, these results demonstrate that we can experimentally map critical evolutionary events in the emergence of new tRNA specificities.     

Synthesis of beta-ketophosphonate analogs of glutamyl and glutaminyl adenylate, and selective inhibition of the corresponding bacterial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

The aminoacyl-beta-ketophosphonate-adenosines (aa-KPA) are stable analogs of the aminoacyl adenylates, which are high-energy intermediates in the formation of aminoacyl-tRNA catalyzed by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRS). We have synthesized glutamyl-beta-ketophosphonate-adenosine (Glu-KPA) and glutaminyl-beta-ketophosphonate-adenosine (Gln-KPA), and have tested them as inhibitors of their cognate aaRS, and of a non-cognate aaRS. Glu-KPA is a competitive inhibitor of Escherichia coli glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS) with a K(i) of 18microM with respect to its substrate glutamate, and binds at one site on this monomeric enzyme; the non-cognate Gln-KPA also binds this GluRS at one site, but is a much weaker (K(i)=2.9mM) competitive inhibitor. By contrast, Gln-KPA inhibits E. coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) by binding competitively but weakly at two distinct sites on this enzyme (average K(i) of 0.65mM); the non-cognate Glu-KPA shows one-site weak (K(i)=2.8mM) competitive inhibition of GlnRS. These kinetic results indicate that the glutamine and the AMP modules of Gln-KPA, connected by the beta-ketophosphonate linker, cannot bind GlnRS simultaneously, and that one Gln-KPA molecule binds the AMP-binding site of GlnRS through its AMP module, whereas another Gln-KPA molecule binds the glutamine-binding site through its glutamine module. This model suggests that similar structural constraints could affect the binding of Glu-KPA to the active site of mammalian cytoplasmic GluRSs, which are evolutionarily much closer to bacterial GlnRS than to bacterial GluRS. This possibility was confirmed by the fact that Glu-KPA inhibits bovine liver GluRS 145-fold less efficiently than E. coli GluRS by competitive weak binding at two distinct sites (average K(i)=2.6mM). Moreover, these kinetic differences reveal that the active sites of bacterial GluRSs and mammalian cytoplasmic GluRSs have substantial structural differences that could be further exploited for the design of better inhibitors specific for bacterial GluRSs, promising targets for antimicrobial therapy.     

Rational design and directed evolution of a bacterial-type glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase precursor

Protein biosynthesis requires aminoacyl-transfer RNA (tRNA) synthetases to provide aminoacyl-tRNA substrates for the ribosome. Most bacteria and all archaea lack a glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS); instead, Gln-tRNA(Gln) is produced via an indirect pathway: a glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS) first attaches glutamate (Glu) to tRNA(Gln), and an amidotransferase converts Glu-tRNA(Gln) to Gln-tRNA(Gln). The human pathogen Helicobacter pylori encodes two GluRS enzymes, with GluRS2 specifically aminoacylating Glu onto tRNA(Gln). It was proposed that GluRS2 is evolving into a bacterial-type GlnRS. Herein, we have combined rational design and directed evolution approaches to test this hypothesis. We show that, in contrast to wild-type (WT) GlnRS2, an engineered enzyme variant (M110) with seven amino acid changes is able to rescue growth of the temperature-sensitive Escherichia coli glnS strain UT172 at its non-permissive temperature. In vitro kinetic analyses reveal that WT GluRS2 selectively acylates Glu over Gln, whereas M110 acylates Gln 4-fold more efficiently than Glu. In addition, M110 hydrolyzes adenosine triphosphate 2.5-fold faster in the presence of Glu than Gln, suggesting that an editing activity has evolved in this variant to discriminate against Glu. These data imply that GluRS2 is a few steps away from evolving into a GlnRS and provides a paradigm for studying aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase evolution using directed engineering approaches.     

The Escherichia coli YadB gene product reveals a novel aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase like activity

In the course of a structural genomics program aiming at solving the structures of Escherichia coli open reading frame products of unknown function, we have determined the structure of YadB at 1.5A using molecular replacement. The YadB protein is 298 amino acid residues long and displays 34% sequence identity with E.coli glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS). It is much shorter than GluRS, which contains 468 residues, and lacks the complete domain interacting with the tRNA anticodon loop. As E.coli GluRS, YadB possesses a Zn2+ located in the putative tRNA acceptor stem-binding domain. The YadB cluster uses cysteine residues as the first three zinc ligands, but has a weaker tyrosine ligand at the fourth position. It shares with canonical amino acid RNA synthetases a major functional feature, namely activation of the amino acid (here glutamate). It differs, however, from GluRSs by the fact that the activation step is tRNA-independent and that it does not catalyze attachment of the activated glutamate to E.coli tRNAGlu, but to another, as yet unknown tRNA. These results suggest thus a novel function, distinct from that of GluRSs, for the yadB gene family.     

In vivo formation of glutamyl-tRNA(Gln) in Escherichia coli by heterologous glutamyl-tRNA synthetases

Two types of glutamyl-tRNA synthetase exist: the discriminating enzyme (D-GluRS) forms only Glu-tRNA(Glu), while the non-discriminating one (ND-GluRS) also synthesizes Glu-tRNA(Gln), a required intermediate in protein synthesis in many organisms (but not in Escherichia coli). Testing the capacity to complement a thermosensitive E. coli gltX mutant and to suppress an E. coli trpA49 missense mutant we examined the properties of heterologous gltX genes. We demonstrate that while Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans GluRS1 and Bacillus subtilis Q373R GluRS form Glu-tRNA(Glu), A. ferrooxidans and Helicobacter pylori GluRS2 form Glu-tRNA(Gln) in E. coli in vivo.     

The zinc-binding site of a class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase is a SWIM domain that modulates amino acid binding via the tRNA acceptor arm.

In its tRNA acceptor end binding domain, the glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS) of Escherichia coli contains one atom of zinc that holds the extremities of a segment (Cys98-x-Cys100-x24-Cys125-x-His127) homologous to the Escherichia coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) loop where a leucine residue stabilizes the peeled-back conformation of tRNAGln acceptor end. We report here that the GluRS zinc-binding region belongs to the novel SWIM domain family characterized by the signature C-x-C-xn-C-x-H (n = 6-25), and predicted to interact with DNA or proteins. In the presence of tRNAGlu, the GluRS C100Y variant has a lower affinity for l-glutamate than the wild-type enzyme, with Km and Kd values increased 12- and 20-fold, respectively. On the other hand, in the absence of tRNAGlu, glutamate binds with the same affinity to the C100Y variant and to wild-type GluRS. In the context of the close structural and mechanistic similarities between GluRS and GlnRS, these results indicate that the GluRS SWIM domain modulates glutamate binding to the active site via its interaction with the tRNAGlu acceptor arm. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that ancestral GluRSs had a strong zinc-binding site in their SWIM domain. Considering that all GluRSs require a cognate tRNA to activate glutamate, and that some of them have different or no putative zinc-binding residues in the corresponding positions, the properties of the C100Y variant suggest that the GluRS SWIM domains evolved to position correctly the tRNA acceptor end in the active site, thereby contributing to the formation of the glutamate binding site.     

A chimaeric glutamyl:glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase: implications for evolution

aaRSs (aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases) are multi-domain proteins that have evolved by domain acquisition. The anti-codon binding domain was added to the more ancient catalytic domain during aaRS evolution. Unlike in eukaryotes, the anti-codon binding domains of GluRS (glutamyl-tRNA synthetase) and GlnRS (glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase) in bacteria are structurally distinct. This originates from the unique evolutionary history of GlnRSs. Starting from the catalytic domain, eukaryotic GluRS evolved by acquiring the archaea/eukaryote-specific anti-codon binding domain after branching away from the eubacteria family. Subsequently, eukaryotic GlnRS evolved from GluRS by gene duplication and horizontally transferred to bacteria. In order to study the properties of the putative ancestral GluRS in eukaryotes, formed immediately after acquiring the anti-codon binding domain, we have designed and constructed a chimaeric protein, cGluGlnRS, consisting of the catalytic domain, Ec GluRS (Escherichia coli GluRS), and the anti-codon binding domain of EcGlnRS (E. coli GlnRS). In contrast to the isolated EcN-GluRS, cGluGlnRS showed detectable activity of glutamylation of E. coli tRNA(glu) and was capable of complementing an E. coli ts (temperature-sensitive)-GluRS strain at non-permissive temperatures. Both cGluGlnRS and EcN-GluRS were found to bind E. coli tRNA(glu) with native EcGluRS-like affinity, suggesting that the anticodon-binding domain in cGluGlnRS enhances k(cat) for glutamylation. This was further confirmed from similar experiments with a chimaera between EcN-GluRS and the substrate-binding domain of EcDnaK (E. coli DnaK). We also show that an extended loop, present in the anticodon-binding domains of GlnRSs, is absent in archaeal GluRS, suggesting that the loop was a later addition, generating additional anti-codon discrimination capability in GlnRS as it evolved from GluRS in eukaryotes.     

Independent genes for two threonyl-tRNA synthetases in Bacillus subtilis.

With the exception of Escherichia coli lysyl-tRNA synthetase, the genes coding for the different aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in procaryotes are always unique. Here we report on the occurrence and cloning of two genes (thrSv and thrS2), both encoding functional threonyl-tRNA synthetase in Bacillus subtilis. The two proteins share only 51.5% identical residues, which makes them almost as distinct from each other as each is from E. coli threonyl-tRNA synthetase (42 and 47%). Both proteins complement an E. coli thrS mutant and effectively charge E. coli threonyl tRNA in vitro. Their genes have been mapped to 250 degrees (thrSv) and 344 degrees (thrS2) on the B. subtilis chromosome. The regulatory regions of both genes are quite complex and show structural similarities. During vegetative growth, only the thrSv gene is expressed.     

Involvement of the size and sequence of the anticodon loop in tRNA recognition by mammalian and E. coli methionyl-tRNA synthetases.

The rates of the cross-aminoacylation reactions of tRNAs(Met) catalyzed by methionyl-tRNA synthetases from various organisms suggest the occurrence of two types of tRNA(Met)/methionyl-tRNA synthetase systems. In this study, the tRNA determinants recognized by mammalian or E. coli methionyl-tRNA synthetases, which are representative members of the two types, have been examined. Like its prokaryotic counterpart, the mammalian enzyme utilizes the anticodon of tRNA as main recognition element. However, the mammalian cytoplasmic elongator tRNA(Met) species is not recognized by the bacterial synthetase, and both the initiator and elongator E. coli tRNA(Met) behave as poor substrates of the mammalian cytoplasmic synthetase. Synthetic genes encoding variants of tRNAs(Met), including the elongator one from mammals, were expressed in E. coli. tRNAs(Met) recognized by a synthetase of a given type can be converted into a substrate of an enzyme of the other type by introducing one-base substitutions in the anticodon loop or stem. In particular, a reduction of the size of the anticodon loop of cytoplasmic mammalian elongator tRNA(Met) from 9 to 7 bases, through the creation of an additional Watson-Crick pair at the bottom of the anticodon stem, makes it a substrate of the prokaryotic enzyme and decreases its ability to be methionylated by the mammalian enzyme. Moreover, enlarging the size of the anticodon loop of E. coli tRNA(Metm) from 7 to 9 bases, by disrupting the base pair at the bottom of the anticodon stem, renders the resulting tRNA a good substrate of the mammalian enzyme, while strongly altering its reaction with the prokaryotic synthetase. Finally, E. coli tRNA(Metf) can be rendered a better substrate of the mammalian enzyme by changing its U33 into a C. This modification makes the sequence of the anticodon loop of tRNA(Metf) identical to that of cytoplasmic initiator tRNA(Met).     

Influence of transfer RNA tertiary structure on aminoacylation efficiency by glutaminyl and cysteinyl-tRNA synthetases

The position of the tertiary Levitt pair between nucleotides 15 and 48 in the transfer RNA core region suggests a key role in stabilizing the joining of the two helical domains, and in maintaining the relative orientations of the D and variable loops. E. coli tRNA(Gln) possesses the canonical Pu15-Py48 trans pairing at this position (G15-C48), while the tRNA(Cys) species from this organism instead features an unusual G15-G48 pair. To explore the structural context dependence of a G15-G48 Levitt pair, a number of tRNA(Gln) species containing G15-G48 were constructed and evaluated as substrates for glutaminyl and cysteinyl-tRNA synthetases. The glutaminylation efficiencies of these mutant tRNAs are reduced by two to tenfold compared with native tRNA(Gln), consistent with previous findings that the tertiary core of this tRNA plays a role in GlnRS recognition. Introduction of tRNA(Cys) identity nucleotides at the acceptor and anticodon ends of tRNA(Gln) produced a tRNA substrate which was efficiently aminoacylated by CysRS, even though the tertiary core region of this species contains the tRNA(Gln) G15-C48 pair. Surprisingly, introduction of G15-G48 into the non-cognate tRNA(Gln) tertiary core then significantly impairs CysRS recognition. By contrast, previous work has shown that CysRS aminoacylates tRNA(Cys) core regions containing G15-G48 with much better efficiency than those with G15-C48. Therefore, tertiary nucleotides surrounding the Levitt pair must significantly modulate the efficiency of aminoacylation by CysRS. To explore the detailed nature of the structural interdependence, crystal structures of two tRNA(Gln) mutants containing G15-G48 were determined bound to GlnRS. These structures show that the larger purine ring of G48 is accommodated by rotation into the syn position, with the N7 nitrogen serving as hydrogen bond acceptor from several groups of G15. The G15-G48 conformations differ significantly compared to that observed in the native tRNA(Cys) structure bound to EF-Tu, further implicating an important role for surrounding nucleotides in maintaining the integrity of the tertiary core and its consequent ability to present crucial recognition determinants to aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.     

A single glutamyl-tRNA synthetase aminoacylates tRNAGlu and tRNAGln in Bacillus subtilis and efficiently misacylates Escherichia coli tRNAGln1 in vitro.

In the presence or absence of its regulatory factor, the monomeric glutamyl-tRNA synthetase from Bacillus subtilis can aminoacylate in vitro with glutamate both tRNAGlu and tRNAGln from B. subtilis and tRNAGln1 but not tRNAGln2 or tRNAGlu from Escherichia coli. The Km and Vmax values of the enzyme for its substrates in these homologous or heterologous aminoacylation reactions are very similar. This enzyme is the only aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase reported to aminoacylate with normal kinetic parameters two tRNA species coding for different amino acids and to misacylate at a high rate a heterologous tRNA under normal aminoacylation conditions. The exceptional lack of specificity of this enzyme for its tRNAGlu and tRNAGln substrates, together with structural and catalytic peculiarities shared with the E. coli glutamyl- and glutaminyl-tRNA synthetases, suggests the existence of a close evolutionary linkage between the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases specific for glutamate and those specific for glutamine. A comparison of the primary structures of the three tRNAs efficiently charged by the B. subtilis glutamyl-tRNA synthetase with those of E. coli tRNAGlu and tRNAGln2 suggests that this enzyme interacts with the G64-C50 or G64-U50 in the T psi stem of its tRNA substrates.     

Sequence analysis and modular organization of threonyl-tRNA synthetase from Thermus thermophilus and its interrelation with threonyl-tRNA synthetases of other origins.

The gene encoding threonyl-tRNA synthetase (Thr-tRNA synthetase) from the extreme thermophilic eubacterium Thermus thermophilus HB8 has been cloned and sequenced. The ORF encodes a polypeptide chain of 659 amino acids (Mr 75 550) that shares strong similarities with other Thr-tRNA synthetases. Comparative analysis with the three-dimensional structure of other subclass IIa synthetases shows it to be organized into four structural modules: two N-terminal modules specific to Thr-tRNA synthetases, a catalytic core and a C-terminal anticodon-binding module. Comparison with the three-dimensional structure of Escherichia coli Thr-tRNA synthetase in complex with tRNAThr enabled identification of the residues involved in substrate binding and catalytic activity. Analysis by atomic absorption spectrometry of the enzyme overexpressed in E. coli revealed the presence in each monomer of one tightly bound zinc atom, which is essential for activity. Despite strong similarites in modular organization, Thr-tRNA synthetases diverge from other subclass IIa synthetases on the basis of their N-terminal extensions. The eubacterial and eukaryotic enzymes possess a large extension folded into two structural domains, N1 and N2, that are not significantly similar to the shorter extension of the archaebacterial enzymes. Investigation of a truncated Thr-tRNA synthetase demonstrated that domain N1 is not essential for tRNA charging. Thr-tRNA synthetase from T. thermophilus is of the eubacterial type, in contrast to other synthetases from this organism, which exhibit archaebacterial characteristics. Alignments show conservation of part of domain N2 in the C-terminal moiety of Ala-tRNA synthetases. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence upstream from the ORF showed the absence of both any anticodon-like stem-loop structure and a loop containing sequences complementary to the anticodon and the CCA end of tRNAThr. This means that the expression of Thr-tRNA synthetase in T. thermophilus is not regulated by the translational and trancriptional mechanisms described for E. coli thrS and Bacillus subtilis thrS and thrZ. Here we discuss our results in the context of evolution of the threonylation systems and of the position of T. thermophilus in the phylogenic tree.     

Mutant enzymes and tRNAs as probes of the glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase: tRNA(Gln) interaction.

This paper focuses on several aspects of the specificity of mutants of Escherichia coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) and tRNA(Gln). Temperature-sensitive mutants located in glnS, the gene for GlnRS, have been described previously. The mutations responsible for the temperature-sensitive phenotype were analyzed, and pseudorevertants of these mutants isolated and characterized. The nature of these mutations is discussed in terms of their location in the three-dimensional structure of the tRNA(Gln).GlnRS complex. In order to characterize the specificity of the aminoacylation reaction, mutant tRNA(Gln) species were synthesized with either a 2'-deoxy AMP or 3'-deoxy AMP as their 3'-terminal nucleotide. Subsequent assays for aminoacylation and ATP/PPi exchange activity established the esterification of glutamine to the 2'-hydroxyl of the terminal adenosine; there is no glutaminylation of the 3'-OH group. This correlates with the classification of GlnRS as a class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. Mutations in tRNA(Gln) are discussed which affect the recognition of GlnRS and the current concept of glutamine identity in E coli is reviewed.     

Recognition of tRNAGln by Helicobacter pylori GluRS2—a tRNAGln-specific glutamyl-tRNA synthetase

Accurate aminoacylation of tRNAs by the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) plays a critical role in protein translation. However, some of the aaRSs are missing in many microorganisms. Helicobacter pylori does not have a glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) but has two divergent glutamyl-tRNA synthetases: GluRS1 and GluRS2. Like a canonical GluRS, GluRS1 aminoacylates tRNA^Glu1 and tRNA^Glu2. In contrast, GluRS2 only misacylates tRNA^Gln to form Glu-tRNA^Gln. It is not clear how GluRS2 achieves specific recognition of tRNA^Gln while rejecting the two H. pylori tRNA^Glu isoacceptors. Here, we show that GluRS2 recognizes major identity elements clustered in the tRNA^Gln acceptor stem. Mutations in the tRNA anticodon or at the discriminator base had little to no impact on enzyme specificity and activity.     

Glutamyl-tRNA synthetases from wheat. Isolation and characterization of three dimeric enzymes

Three dimeric glutamyl-tRNA synthetases (GluRS) were isolated from extracts of quiescent wheat germ and wheat chloroplasts. The chloroplast enzyme (Mr = 110 000), called GluRS C, exhibits a prokaryotic (Escherichia coli) tRNA specificity. Two enzymes were found in the quiescent germ and were separated on phosphocellulose P11: one called GluRS P, probably the mitochondrial enzyme, has the same tRNA specificity as GluRS C; the other, called GluRS E, has eukaryotic (wheat germ) tRNA specificity. Both enzymes exhibit a molecular weight close to 160 000. Each of these enzymes co-eluate on hydroxyapatite and phosphocellulose chromatographies with an unstable active monomer whose molecular weight is approximately half that of the corresponding dimer. Two assumptions are discussed about these monomers.     

Mechanisms of molecular recognition of tRNAs by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.

Interactions of Escherichia coli isoleucyl- and glutamyl-tRNA synthetases and their cognate tRNAs were analyzed by phosphate-alkylation mapping with N-nitroso-N-ethylurea and/or by 1H-NMR analysis. When E. coli tRNA(Ile) was bound with isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase, many of the phosphate groups in the anticodon loop and stem and in the D-stem were protected from alkylation. This result is consistent with that of analysis of imino proton resonances due to the secondary and tertiary base pairs. These analyses also suggested that the L-shaped tertiary structure of tRNA(Ile) is distorted upon complex formation with IleRS because of disruption of some tertiary base pairs. In the case of E. coli tRNA(Glu), several phosphate groups in the D-stem and the variable loop were significantly protected by the cognate synthetase. These results indicate that the two tRNAs, unlike other tRNAs studied so far, have some of the "identity determinants" in the D-stem and/or in the anticodon stem.     

Gene Descent, Duplication, and Horizontal Transfer in the Evolution of Glutamyl- and Glutaminyl-tRNA Synthetases

In translation, separate aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases attach the 20 different amino acids to their cognate tRNAs, with the exception of glutamine. Eukaryotes and some bacteria employ a specific glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) which other Bacteria, the Archaea (archaebacteria), and organelles apparently lack. Instead, tRNA^Gln is initially acylated with glutamate by glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS), then the glutamate moiety is transamidated to glutamine. Lamour et al. [(1994) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:8670–8674] suggested that an early duplication of the GluRS gene in eukaryotes gave rise to the gene for GlnRS—a copy of which was subsequently transferred to proteobacteria. However, questions remain about the occurrence of GlnRS genes among the Eucarya (eukaryotes) outside of the ``crown' taxa (animals, fungi, and plants), the distribution of GlnRS genes in the Bacteria, and their evolutionary relationships to genes from the Archaea. Here, we show that GlnRS occurs in the most deeply branching eukaryotes and that putative GluRS genes from the Archaea are more closely related to GlnRS and GluRS genes of the Eucarya than to those of Bacteria. There is still no evidence for the existence of GlnRS in the Archaea. We propose that the last common ancestor to contemporary cells, or cenancestor, used transamidation to synthesize Gln-tRNA^Gln and that both the Bacteria and the Archaea retained this pathway, while eukaryotes developed a specific GlnRS gene through the duplication of an existing GluRS gene. In the Bacteria, GlnRS genes have been identified in a total of 10 species from three highly diverse taxonomic groups: Thermus/Deinococcus, Proteobacteria γ/β subdivision, and Bacteroides/Cytophaga/Flexibacter. Although all bacterial GlnRS form a monophyletic group, the broad phyletic distribution of this tRNA synthetase suggests that multiple gene transfers from eukaryotes to bacteria occurred shortly after the Archaea–eukaryote divergence.