title: Influence of tRNA tertiary structure and stability on aminoacylation by yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase.
abstract: Mutations have been designed that disrupt the tertiary structure of yeast tRNA(Asp). The effects of these mutations on both tRNA structure and specific aspartylation by yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase were assayed. Mutations that disrupt tertiary interactions involving the D-stem or D-loop result in destabilization of the base-pairing in the D-stem, as monitored by nuclease digestion and chemical modification studies. These mutations also decrease the specificity constant (kcat/Km) for aspartylation by aspartyl-tRNA synthetase up to 10(3)-10(4) fold. The size of the T-loop also influences tRNA(Asp) structure and function; change of its T-loop to a tetraloop (-UUCG-) sequence results in a denatured D-stem and an almost 10(4) fold decrease of kcat/Km for aspartylation. The negative effects of these mutations on aspartylation activity are significantly alleviated by additional mutations that stabilize the D-stem. These results indicate that a critical role of tertiary structure in tRNA(Asp) for aspartylation is the maintenance of a base-paired D-stem.
authors.affiliation: UPR Structure des Macromolécules Biologiques et Mécanismes de Reconnaissance, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Puglisi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pütz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Florentz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giegé
mesh_terms: D000215:Acylation; D001226:Aspartate-tRNA Ligase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D012343:RNA, Transfer; D001226:Aspartate-tRNA Ligase