Glycyl-tRNA synthetase from Nanoarchaeum equitans: The first crystal structure of archaeal GlyRS and analysis of its tRNA glycylation

This study reports the X-ray crystallographic structure of the glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) of Nanoarchaeum equitans — a hyperthermophilic archaeal species. This is the first archaeal GlyRS crystal structure elucidated. The GlyRS comprises an N-terminal catalytic domain and a C-terminal anticodon-binding domain with a long β-sheet inserted between these domains. An unmodified transcript of the wild-type N. equitans tRNAGly was successfully glycylated using GlyRS. Substitution of the discriminator base A73 of tRNAGly with any other nucleotide caused a significant decrease in glycylation activity. Mutational analysis of the second base-pair C2G71 of the acceptor stem of tRNAGly elucidated the importance of the base-pair, especially G71, as an identity element for recognition by GlyRS. Glycylation assays using tRNAGly G71 substitution mutants and a GlyRS mutant where Arg223 is mutated to alanine strengthen the possibility that the carbonyl oxygen at position 6 of G71 would hydrogen-bond with the guanidine nitrogen of Arg223 in N. equitans GlyRS.