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G:U-Independent RNA Minihelix Aminoacylation by Nanoarchaeum equitans Alanyl-tRNA Synthetase: An Insight into the Evolution of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases
- Source :
- Journal of molecular evolution. 88(6)
- Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Nanoarchaeum equitans is a species of hyperthermophilic archaea with the smallest genome size. Its alanyl-tRNA synthetase genes are split into AlaRS-α and AlaRS-β, encoding the respective subunits. In the current report, we surveyed N. equitans AlaRS-dependent alanylation of RNA minihelices, composed only of the acceptor stem and the T-arm of tRNAAla. Combination of AlaRS-α and AlaRS-β showed a strong alanylation activity specific to a single G3:U70 base pair, known to mark a specific tRNA for charging with alanine. However, AlaRS-α alone had a weak but appreciable alanylation activity that was independent of the G3:U70 base pair. The shorter 16-mer RNA tetraloop substrate mimicking only the first four base pairs of the acceptor stem of tRNAAla, but with C3:G70 base pair, was also successfully aminoacylated by AlaRS-α. The end of the acceptor stem, including CCA-3' terminus and the discriminator A73, was able to function as a minimal structure for the recognition by the enzyme. Our findings imply that aminoacylation by N. equitans AlaRS-α may represent a vestige of a primitive aminoacylation system, before the appearance of the G3:U70 pair as an identity element for alanine.
- Subjects :
- Alanine
endocrine system
biology
Aminoacyl tRNA synthetase
Base pair
Archaeal Proteins
Alanine-tRNA Ligase
RNA
Aminoacylation
biology.organism_classification
Tetraloop
Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases
chemistry.chemical_compound
chemistry
Biochemistry
Transfer RNA
Genetics
Nanoarchaeota
Nucleic Acid Conformation
Nanoarchaeum equitans
Molecular Biology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14321432
- Volume :
- 88
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of molecular evolution
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....4af180e52fc206d3f3bf5552e1c7f967