title: let-65 is cytoplasmic methionyl tRNA synthetase in C. elegans.
abstract: Cytoplasmic methionyl tRNA synthetase (MetRS) is one of more than 20 cytoplasmic aminoacyl tRNA synthetase enzymes (ARS). This family of enzymes catalyzes a process fundamental for protein translation. Using a combination of genetic mapping, oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization, and phenotypic correlation, we show that mutations in the essential gene, let-65, reside within the predicted Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of MetRS, which we have named mars-1. We demonstrate that the lethality associated with alleles of let-65 is fully rescued by a transgenic array that spans the mars-1 genomic region. Furthermore, sequence analysis reveals that six let-65 alleles lead to the alteration of highly conserved amino acids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada ; Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, 35, Al-Khod 123, Oman.
authors.forename: Maha Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Alriyami
authors.affiliation: Genome Sciences Centre, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, 600 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4E6, Canada.
authors.forename: Martin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Johnsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, 35, Al-Khod 123, Oman.
authors.forename: Yajnavalka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Baillie
keywords: Aminoacyl tRNA synthetase, methionyl-tRNA synthetase; Caenorhabditis elegans; Essential genes; Oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization; let-65