title: tRNA modifications regulate translation during cellular stress.
abstract: The regulation of gene expression in response to stress is an essential cellular protection mechanism. Recent advances in tRNA modification analysis and genome-based codon bias analytics have facilitated studies that lead to a novel model for translational control, with translation elongation dynamically regulated during stress responses. Stress-induced increases in specific anticodon wobble bases are required for the optimal translation of stress response transcripts that are significantly biased in the use of degenerate codons keyed to these modified tRNA bases. These findings led us to introduce the notion of tRNA modification tunable transcripts (MoTTs - transcripts whose translation is regulated by tRNA modifications), which are identifiable using genome-wide codon counting algorithms. In support of this general model of translational control of stress response, studies making use of detailed measures of translation, tRNA methyltransferase mutants, and computational and mass spectrometry approaches reveal that stress reprograms tRNA modifications to translationally regulate MoTTs linked to arginine and leucine codons, which helps cells survive insults by damaging agents. These studies highlight how tRNA methyltransferase activities and MoTTs are key components of the cellular stress response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Engineering and Center for Environmental Health Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: State University of New York - College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Albany, NY, United States; The RNA Institute at the University at Albany, Albany, NY, United States. Electronic address: tbegley@sunycnse.com.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Begley
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Engineering and Center for Environmental Health Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore. Electronic address: pcdedon@mit.edu.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Dedon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002477:Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D004194:Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012343:RNA, Transfer
keywords: Codon usage; Modified ribonucleoside; Stress response; Transfer RNA; Translation