title: tRNA genes rapidly change in evolution to meet novel translational demands.
abstract: Changes in expression patterns may occur when organisms are presented with new environmental challenges, for example following migration or genetic changes. To elucidate the mechanisms by which the translational machinery adapts to such changes, we perturbed the tRNA pool of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by tRNA gene deletion. We then evolved the deletion strain and observed that the genetic adaptation was recurrently based on a strategic mutation that changed the anticodon of other tRNA genes to match that of the deleted one. Strikingly, a systematic search in hundreds of genomes revealed that anticodon mutations occur throughout the tree of life. We further show that the evolution of the tRNA pool also depends on the need to properly couple translation to protein folding. Together, our observations shed light on the evolution of the tRNA pool, demonstrating that mutation in the anticodons of tRNA genes is a common adaptive mechanism when meeting new translational demands. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01339.001.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Avihu H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Yona
authors.forename: Zohar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bloom-Ackermann
authors.forename: Idan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Frumkin
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hanson-Smith
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Charpak-Amikam
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jef D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Boeke
authors.forename: Orna
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dahan
authors.forename: Yitzhak
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pilpel
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000926:Anticodon; D001483:Base Sequence; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D017510:Protein Folding; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000926:Anticodon; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D012343:RNA, Transfer
keywords: anticodon; evolution; protein folding stress; tRNA genes; translation