title: Functional dissection of the eukaryotic-specific tRNA-interacting factor of lysyl-tRNA synthetase.
abstract: In the cytoplasm of higher eukaryotic cells, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) have polypeptide chain extensions appended to conventional prokaryotic-like synthetase domains. The supplementary domains, referred to as tRNA-interacting factors (tIFs), provide the core synthetases with potent tRNA-binding capacities, a functional requirement related to the low concentration of free tRNA prevailing in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. Lysyl-tRNA synthetase is a component of the multi-tRNA synthetase complex. It exhibits a lysine-rich N-terminal polypeptide extension that increases its catalytic efficiency. The functional characterization of this new type of tRNA-interacting factor has been conducted. Here we describe the systematic substitution of the 13 lysine or arginine residues located within the general RNA-binding domain of hamster LysRS made of 70 residues. Our data show that three lysine and one arginine residues are major building blocks of the tRNA-binding site. Their mutation into alanine led to a reduced affinity for tRNA(3)(Lys) or minimalized tRNA mimicking the acceptor-TPsiC stem-loop of tRNA(3)(Lys) and a decrease in catalytic efficiency similar to that observed after a complete deletion of the N-terminal domain. Moreover, covalent continuity between the tRNA-binding and core domain is a prerequisite for providing LysRS with a tRNA binding capacity. Thus, our results suggest that the ability of LysRS to promote tRNA(Lys) networking during translation or to convey tRNA(3)(Lys) into the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 viral particles rests on the addition in evolution of this tRNA-interacting factor.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Enzymologie et Biochimie Structurales, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Francin
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirande
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D008250:Lysine-tRNA Ligase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017354:Point Mutation; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D012313:RNA; D008250:Lysine-tRNA Ligase