title: The mere lack of rT modification in initiator tRNA does not facilitate formylation-independent initiation in Escherichia coli.
abstract: Formylation of initiator methionyl-tRNA is essential for normal growth of eubacteria. However, under special conditions, it has been possible to initiate protein synthesis with unformylated initiator tRNA even in eubacteria. Earlier studies suggested that the lack of ribothymidine (rT) modification in initiator tRNA may facilitate initiation in the absence of formylation. In this report we show, by using trmA strains of Escherichia coli (defective for rT modification) and a sensitive in vivo initiation assay system, that the lack of rT modification in the initiators is not sufficient to effect formylation-independent initiation of protein synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thanedar
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Dineshkumar
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Varshney
mesh_terms: D000215:Acylation; D001483:Base Sequence; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009239:N-Formylmethionine / Q000378:metabolism*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010442:Peptide Chain Initiation, Translational / Q000235:genetics*; D012358:RNA, Transfer, Met / Q000235:genetics*; D014529:Uridine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D012358:RNA, Transfer, Met; C009182:ribothymidine; D009239:N-Formylmethionine; D014529:Uridine