title: The anticodon contains a major element of the identity of arginine transfer RNAs.
abstract: The contribution of the anticodon to the discrimination between cognate and noncognate tRNAs by Escherichia coli Arg-tRNA synthetase has been investigated by in vitro synthesis and aminoacylation of elongator methionine tRNA (tRNA(mMet) mutants. Substitution of the Arg anticodon CCG for the Met anticodon CAU leads to a dramatic increase in Arg acceptance by tRNA(mMet). A nucleotide (A20) previously identified by others in the dihydrouridine loop of tRNA(Arg)s makes a smaller contribution to the conversion of tRNA(mMet) identity from Met to Arg. The combined anticodon and dihydrouridine loop mutations yield a tRNA(mMet) derivative that is aminoacylated with near-normal kinetics by the Arg-tRNA synthetase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Schulman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pelka
mesh_terms: D000926:Anticodon / Q000235:genetics*; D001126:Arginine-tRNA Ligase / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D007700:Kinetics; D008718:Methionine-tRNA Ligase / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics*; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific / Q000235:genetics*; D012347:RNA, Transfer, Arg / Q000235:genetics*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013604:T-Phages / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000926:Anticodon; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific; D012347:RNA, Transfer, Arg; D012343:RNA, Transfer; D008718:Methionine-tRNA Ligase; D001126:Arginine-tRNA Ligase