Structures of five antibiotics bound at the peptidyl transferase center of the large ribosomal subunit

Structures of anisomycin, chloramphenicol, sparsomycin, blasticidin S, and virginiamycin M bound to the large ribosomal subunit of Haloarcula marismortui have been determined at 3.0A resolution. Most of these antibiotics bind to sites that overlap those of either peptidyl-tRNA or aminoacyl-tRNA, consistent with their functioning as competitive inhibitors of peptide bond formation. Two hydrophobic crevices, one at the peptidyl transferase center and the other at the entrance to the peptide exit tunnel play roles in binding these antibiotics. Midway between these crevices, nucleotide A2103 of H.marismortui (2062 Escherichia coli) varies in its conformation and thereby contacts antibiotics bound at either crevice. The aromatic ring of anisomycin binds to the active-site hydrophobic crevice, as does the aromatic ring of puromycin, while the aromatic ring of chloramphenicol binds to the exit tunnel hydrophobic crevice. Sparsomycin contacts primarily a P-site bound substrate, but also extends into the active-site hydrophobic crevice. Virginiamycin M occupies portions of both the A and P-site, and induces a conformational change in the ribosome. Blasticidin S base-pairs with the P-loop and thereby mimics C74 and C75 of a P-site bound tRNA.     

Activities of the peptidyl transferase center of ribosomes lacking protein L27

The ribosome is the molecular machine responsible for protein synthesis in all living organisms. Its catalytic core, the peptidyl transferase center (PTC), is built of rRNA, although several proteins reach close to the inner rRNA shell. In the Escherichia coli ribosome, the flexible N-terminal tail of the ribosomal protein L27 contacts the A- and P-site tRNA. Based on computer simulations of the PTC and on previous biochemical evidence, the N-terminal α-amino group of L27 was suggested to take part in the peptidyl-transfer reaction. However, the contribution of this group to catalysis has not been tested experimentally. Here we investigate the role of L27 in peptide-bond formation using fast kinetics approaches. We show that the rate of peptide-bond formation at physiological pH, both with aminoacyl-tRNA or with the substrate analog puromycin, is independent of the presence of L27; furthermore, translation of natural mRNAs is only marginally affected in the absence of L27. The pH dependence of the puromycin reaction is unaltered in the absence of L27, indicating that the N-terminal α-amine is not the ionizing group taking part in catalysis. Likewise, L27 is not required for the peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis during termination. Thus, apart from the known effect on subunit association, which most likely explains the phenotype of the deletion strains, L27 does not appear to be a key player in the core mechanism of peptide-bond formation on the ribosome.     

A conserved base-pair between tRNA and 23 S rRNA in the peptidyl transferase center is important for peptide release

The 3' terminus of tRNAs has the universally conserved bases C74C75A76 that interact with the ribosomal large subunit. In the ribosomal P site, bases C74 and C75 of tRNA, form Watson-Crick base-pairs with G2252 and G2251, respectively, present in the conserved P-loop of 23 S rRNA. Previous studies have suggested that the G2252-C74 base-pair is important for peptide bond formation. Using a pure population of mutant ribosomes, we analyzed the precise role of this base-pair in peptide bond formation, elongation factor G-dependent translocation, and peptide release by release factor 1. Surprisingly, our results show that the G2252-C74 base-pair is not essential for peptide bond formation with intact aminoacyl tRNAs as substrates and for EF-G catalyzed translocation. Interestingly, however, peptide release was reduced substantially when base-pair formation between G2252 and C74 of P site tRNA was disrupted, indicating that this conserved base-pair plays an important role in ester bond hydrolysis during translation termination.     

Single-molecule study of ribosome hierarchic dynamics at the peptidyl transferase center

During protein biosynthesis the ribosome moves along mRNA in steps of precisely three nucleotides. The mechanism for this ribosome motion remains elusive. Using a classification algorithm to sort single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer data into subpopulations, we found that the ribosome dynamics detected at the peptidyl transferase center are highly inhomogeneous. The pretranslocation complex has at least four subpopulations that sample two hybrid states, whereas the posttranslocation complex is mainly static. We observed transitions among the ribosome subpopulations under various conditions, including 1), in the presence of EF-G; 2), spontaneously; 3), in different buffers, and 4), bound to antibiotics. Therefore, these subpopulations represent biologically active ribosomes. One key observation indicates that the Hy2 hybrid state only exists in a fluctuating ribosome subpopulation, which prompts us to propose that ribosome dynamics are hierarchically arranged. This proposal may have important implications for the regulation of cellular translation rates.     

The arginine attenuator peptide interferes with the ribosome peptidyl transferase center

The fungal arginine attenuator peptide (AAP) is encoded by a regulatory upstream open reading frame (uORF). The AAP acts as a nascent peptide within the ribosome tunnel to stall translation in response to arginine (Arg). The effect of AAP and Arg on ribosome peptidyl transferase center (PTC) function was analyzed in Neurospora crassa and wheat germ translation extracts using the transfer of nascent AAP to puromycin as an assay. In the presence of a high concentration of Arg, the wild-type AAP inhibited PTC function, but a mutated AAP that lacked stalling activity did not. While AAP of wild-type length was most efficient at stalling ribosomes, based on primer extension inhibition (toeprint) assays and reporter synthesis assays, a window of inhibitory function spanning four residues was observed at the AAP's C terminus. The data indicate that inhibition of PTC function by the AAP in response to Arg is the basis for the AAP's function of stalling ribosomes at the uORF termination codon. Arg could interfere with PTC function by inhibiting peptidyltransferase activity and/or by restricting PTC A-site accessibility. The mode of PTC inhibition appears unusual because neither specific amino acids nor a specific nascent peptide chain length was required for AAP to inhibit PTC function.     

New photoreactive tRNA derivatives for probing the peptidyl transferase center of the ribosome

Three new photoreactive tRNA derivatives have been synthesized for use as probes of the peptidyl transferase center of the ribosome. In two of these derivatives, the 3' adenosine of yeast tRNA(Phe) has been replaced by either 2-azidodeoxyadenosine or 2-azido-2'-O-methyl adenosine, while in a third the 3'-terminal 2-azidodeoxyadenosine of the tRNA is joined to puromycin via a phosphoramidate linkage to generate a photoreactive transition-state analog. All three derivatives bind to the P site of 70S ribosomes with affinities similar to that of unmodified tRNA(Phe) and can be cross-linked to components of the 50S ribosomal subunit by irradiation with near-UV light. Characteristic differences in the cross-linking patterns suggest that these tRNA derivatives can be used to follow subtle changes in the position of the tRNA relative to the components of the peptidyl transferase center.     

Nanometer scale pores similar in size to the entrance of the ribosomal exit cavity are a common feature of large RNAs

The highly conserved peptidyl transferase center (PTC) of the ribosome contains an RNA pore that serves as the entrance to the exit tunnel. Analysis of available ribosome crystal structures has revealed the presence of multiple additional well-defined pores of comparable size in the ribosomal (rRNA) RNAs. These typically have dimensions of 1–2 nm, with a total area of ∼100 Ų or more, and most are associated with one or more ribosomal proteins. The PTC example and the other rRNA pores result from the packing of helices. However, in the non-PTC cases the nitrogenous bases do not protrude into the pore, thereby limiting the potential for hydrogen bonding within the pore. Instead, it is the RNA backbone that largely defines the pore likely resulting in a negatively charged environment. In many but not all cases, ribosomal proteins are associated with the pores to a greater or lesser extent. With the exception of the PTC case, the large subunit pores are not found in what are thought to be the evolutionarily oldest regions of the 23S rRNA. The unusual nature of the PTC pore may reflect a history of being created by hybridization between two or more RNAs early in evolution rather than simple folding of a single RNA. An initial survey of nonribosomal RNA crystal structures revealed additional pores, thereby showing that they are likely a general feature of RNA tertiary structure.     

The Ribosomal Peptidyl Transferase Center: Structure,Function, Evolution,Inhibition

ABSTRACT

The ribosomal peptidyl transferase center (PTC) resides in the large ribosomal subunit and catalyzes the two principal chemical reactions of protein synthesis: peptide bond formation and peptide release. The catalytic mechanisms employed and their inhibition by antibiotics have been in the focus of molecular and structural biologists for decades. With the elucidation of atomic structures of the large ribosomal subunit at the dawn of the new millennium, these questions gained a new level of molecular significance. The crystallographic structures compellingly confirmed that peptidyl transferase is an RNA enzyme. This places the ribosome on the list of naturally occurring riboyzmes that outlived the transition from the pre-biotic RNA World to contemporary biology. Biochemical, genetic and structural evidence highlight the role of the ribosome as an entropic catalyst that accelerates peptide bond formation primarily by substrate positioning. At the same time, peptide release should more strongly depend on chemical catalysis likely involving an rRNA group of the PTC. The PTC is characterized by the most pronounced accumulation of universally conserved rRNA nucleotides in the entire ribosome. Thus, it came as a surprise that recent findings revealed an unexpected high level of variation in the mode of antibiotic binding to the PTC of ribosomes from different organisms.     

The Role of Initiator tRNAi met in Fidelity of Initiation of Protein Synthesis

The proper arrangement of amino acids in a protein determines its proper function, which is vital for the cellular metabolism. This indicates that the process of peptide bond formation requires high fidelity. One of the most important processes for this fidelity is kinetic proofreading. As biochemical experiments suggest that kinetic proofreading plays a major role in ensuring the fidelity of protein synthesis, it is not certain whether or not a misacylated tRNA would be corrected by kinetic proofreading during the peptide bond formation. Using 2-layered ONIOM (QM/MM) computational calculations, we studied the behavior of misacylated tRNAs and compared the results with these for cognate aminoacyl-tRNAs during the process of peptide bond formation to investigate the effect of nonnative amino acids on tRNAs. The difference between the behavior of initiator tRNA_i ^met compared to the one for the elongator tRNAs indicates that only the initiator tRNA_i ^met specifies the amino acid side chain.     

Nascent peptide in the ribosome exit tunnel affects functional properties of the A-site of the peptidyl transferase center

The ability to monitor the nascent peptide structure and to respond functionally to specific nascent peptide sequences is a fundamental property of the ribosome. An extreme manifestation of such response is nascent peptide-dependent ribosome stalling, involved in the regulation of gene expression. The molecular mechanisms of programmed translation arrest are unclear. By analyzing ribosome stalling at the regulatory cistron of the antibiotic resistance gene ermA, we uncovered a carefully orchestrated cooperation between the ribosomal exit tunnel and the A-site of the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) in halting translation. The presence of an inducing antibiotic and a specific nascent peptide in the exit tunnel abrogate the ability of the PTC to catalyze peptide bond formation with a particular subset of amino acids. The extent of the conferred A-site selectivity is modulated by the C-terminal segment of the nascent peptide, where the third-from-last residue plays a critical role.     

肽基载体蛋白结构功能的研究进展

肽基载体蛋白(peptidyl carrier protein,PCP)是非核糖体肽合成酶(non-ribosomal peptide synthetase,NRPS)的核心结构域。根据NRPS的装配机制,每个模块都至少包含一个PCP,PCP对于非核糖体肽合成中氨基酸残基及多肽在不同催化结构域中的传递起着重要作用,并为氨基酸残基和多肽向模块内其他修饰酶的转移提供一个平台。本文主要对PCP的结构功能、与其他催化结构域的相互作用及重组模块活性降低的问题等方面进行了综述,期望为重组NRPS模块的构建提供理论依据。     

Peptidyl-CCA deacylation on the ribosome promoted by induced fit and the O3'-hydroxyl group of A76 of the unacylated A-site tRNA

The last step in ribosome-catalyzed protein synthesis is the hydrolytic release of the newly formed polypeptide from the P-site bound tRNA. Hydrolysis of the ester link of the peptidyl-tRNA is stimulated normally by the binding of release factors (RFs). However, an unacylated tRNA or just CCA binding to the ribosomal A site can also stimulate deacylation under some nonphysiological conditions. Although the sequence of events is well described by biochemical studies, the structural basis of the mechanism underlying this process is not well understood. Two new structures of the large ribosomal subunit of Haloarcula marismortui complexed with a peptidyl-tRNA analog in the P site and two oligonucleotide mimics of unacylated tRNA, CCA and CA, in the A site show that the binding of either CA or CCA induces a very similar conformational change in the peptidyl-transferase center as induced by aminoacyl-CCA. However, only CCA positions a water molecule appropriately to attack the carbonyl carbon of the peptidyl-tRNA and stabilizes the proper orientation of the ester link for hydrolysis. We, thus, conclude that both the ability of the O3′-hydroxyl group of the A-site A76 to position the water and the A-site CCA induced conformational change of the PTC are critical for the catalysis of the deacylation of the peptidyl-tRNA by CCA, and perhaps, an analogous mechanism is used by RFs.     

A vestige of a prebiotic bonding machine is functioning within the contemporary ribosome

Based on the presumed capability of a prebiotic pocket-like entity to accommodate substrates whose stereochemistry enables the creation of chemical bonds, it is suggested that a universal symmetrical region identified within all contemporary ribosomes originated from an entity that we term the 'proto-ribosome'. This 'proto-ribosome' could have evolved from an earlier machine that was capable of performing essential tasks in the RNA world, called here the 'pre-proto-ribosome', which was adapted for producing proteins.     

The interaction between C75 of tRNA and the A loop of the ribosome stimulates peptidyl transferase activity

Ribosomal variants carrying mutations in active site nucleotides are severely compromised in their ability to catalyze peptide bond formation (PT) with minimal aminoacyl tRNA substrates such as puromycin. However, catalysis of PT by these same ribosomes with intact aminoacyl tRNA substrates is uncompromised. These data suggest that these active site nucleotides play an important role in the positioning of minimal aminoacyl tRNA substrates but are not essential for catalysis per se when aminoacyl tRNAs are positioned by more remote interactions with the ribosome. Previously reported biochemical studies and atomic resolution X-ray structures identified a direct Watson-Crick interaction between C75 of the A-site substrate and G2553 of the 23S rRNA. Here we show that the addition of this single cytidine residue (the C75 equivalent) to puromycin is sufficient to suppress the deficiencies of active site ribosomal variants, thus restoring "tRNA-like" behavior to this minimal substrate. Studies of the binding parameters and the pH-dependence of catalysis with this minimal substrate indicate that the interaction between C75 and the ribosomal A loop is an essential feature for robust catalysis and further suggest that the observed effects of C75 on peptidyl transfer activity reflect previously reported conformational rearrangements in this active site.