title: Nucleotide modifications within bacterial messenger RNAs regulate their translation and are able to rewire the genetic code.
abstract: Nucleotide modifications within RNA transcripts are found in every organism in all three domains of life. 6-methyladeonsine (m(6)A), 5-methylcytosine (m(5)C) and pseudouridine (Ψ) are highly abundant nucleotide modifications in coding sequences of eukaryal mRNAs, while m(5)C and m(6)A modifications have also been discovered in archaeal and bacterial mRNAs. Employing in vitro translation assays, we systematically investigated the influence of nucleotide modifications on translation. We introduced m(5)C, m(6)A, Ψ or 2'-O-methylated nucleotides at each of the three positions within a codon of the bacterial ErmCL mRNA and analyzed their influence on translation. Depending on the respective nucleotide modification, as well as its position within a codon, protein synthesis remained either unaffected or was prematurely terminated at the modification site, resulting in reduced amounts of the full-length peptide. In the latter case, toeprint analysis of ribosomal complexes was consistent with stalling of translation at the modified codon. When multiple nucleotide modifications were introduced within one codon, an additive inhibitory effect on translation was observed. We also identified the m(5)C modification to alter the amino acid identity of the corresponding codon, when positioned at the second codon position. Our results suggest a novel mode of gene regulation by nucleotide modifications in bacterial mRNAs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Genomics and RNomics, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Thomas Philipp
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Hoernes
authors.affiliation: Division of Genomics and RNomics, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Clementi
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Faserl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Heidelinde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Glasner
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Breuker
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lindner
authors.affiliation: Division of Genomics and RNomics, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria alexander.huettenhofer@i-med.ac.at.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hüttenhofer
authors.affiliation: Division of Genomics and RNomics, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria matthias.erlacher@i-med.ac.at.
authors.forename: Matthias David
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Erlacher
mesh_terms: D044503:5-Methylcytosine / Q000378:metabolism; D000241:Adenosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003062:Codon; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011560:Pseudouridine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011560:Pseudouridine; D012313:RNA; D044503:5-Methylcytosine; C010223:N-methyladenosine; D008780:Methyltransferases; C035181:rRNA (adenosine-O-2'-)methyltransferase; D000241:Adenosine