Preparation of tRNA's and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases from Bacillus subtilis cells at various stages of growth and spores

Temporal expression of a membrane-associated protein putatively involved in repression of initiation of DNA replication in Bacillus subtilis

A Bacillus subtilis membrane-associated protein that binds specifically to the origin region of DNA replication may act as an inhibitor of DNA replication (J. Laffan and W. Firshein, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:7452-7456, 1988). This protein, originally estimated to be 64 kDa, had a slightly lower molecular size (57 kDa), as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis during these studies. The size difference may be due to processing that results in modification of the protein. The protein can be extracted from both cytosol and membrane fractions, and the amounts in these fractions vary during the developmental cycle of B. subtilis. A complex pattern of expression in which significant levels were detected in spores was revealed; levels decreased dramatically during germination and increased after the first round of DNA replication. The decrease during germination was due to protease activity, as demonstrated by the addition of protease inhibitors and radioactive-labeling chase experiments. During vegetative growth, the protein levels increased until stationary phase, after which there was another decrease during sporulation. The decrease during sporulation may be partially due to sequestering of the protein into forespores, since as the putative repressor protein decreased in the mother cell, it increased in the forespores. However, protease activity was also involved in the decrease in the mother cell. The changes in expression of this protein are consistent with its role as a repressor of initiation of DNA replication. Additional studies, including sequence analysis and further antibody analysis, show that this protein is not a subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. This relationship had been a possibility based upon the results of others (H. Hemila, A. Pavla, L. Paulin, S. Arvidson, and I. Palva, J. Bacteriol. 172:5052-5063, 1990).

Characterization of the glutamyl-tRNA(Gln)-to-glutaminyl-tRNA(Gln) amidotransferase reaction of Bacillus subtilis

In Bacillus subtilis, the formation of glutaminyl-tRNA is accomplished by first charging tRNA(Gln) with glutamate, which is then amidated. Glutamine was preferred over asparagine and ammonia as the amide donor in vitro. There is a functional analogy of this reaction to that catalyzed by glutamine synthetase. Homogeneous glutamine synthetase, from either B. subtilis or Escherichia coli, catalyzed the amidotransferase reaction but only about 3 to 5% as well as a partially purified preparation from B. subtilis. Several classes of glutamine synthetase mutants of B. subtilis, however, were unaltered in the amidotransferase reaction. In addition, there was no inhibition by inhibitors of either glutamine synthetase or other amidotransferases. A unique, rather labile activity seems to be required for this reaction.

A single glutamyl-tRNA synthetase aminoacylates tRNAGlu and tRNAGln in Bacillus subtilis and efficiently misacylates Escherichia coli tRNAGln1 in vitro

In the presence or absence of its regulatory factor, the monomeric glutamyl-tRNA synthetase from Bacillus subtilis can aminoacylate in vitro with glutamate both tRNAGlu and tRNAGln from B. subtilis and tRNAGln1 but not tRNAGln2 or tRNAGlu from Escherichia coli. The Km and Vmax values of the enzyme for its substrates in these homologous or heterologous aminoacylation reactions are very similar. This enzyme is the only aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase reported to aminoacylate with normal kinetic parameters two tRNA species coding for different amino acids and to misacylate at a high rate a heterologous tRNA under normal aminoacylation conditions. The exceptional lack of specificity of this enzyme for its tRNAGlu and tRNAGln substrates, together with structural and catalytic peculiarities shared with the E. coli glutamyl- and glutaminyl-tRNA synthetases, suggests the existence of a close evolutionary linkage between the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases specific for glutamate and those specific for glutamine. A comparison of the primary structures of the three tRNAs efficiently charged by the B. subtilis glutamyl-tRNA synthetase with those of E. coli tRNAGlu and tRNAGln2 suggests that this enzyme interacts with the G64-C50 or G64-U50 in the T psi stem of its tRNA substrates.

Two active forms of valyl-tRNA synthetase from Bacillus subtilis: alteration related to the early stages of sporulation

Two enzymatically active forms, E-I and E-II, of valyl-tRNA synthetase [EC 6.1.1.9] from cells at various stages in the life cycle of Bacillus subtilis 168 LTT, germinated cells, vegetative cells (t-0.5), sporulating cells (t0, t1, t3, and t4), forespores and mature spores, were analyzed by hydroxyapatite column chromatography. The E-II activity was detected in the main fraction of valyl-tRNA synthetase during the life cycle of B. subtilis 168 LTT. The high activity of E-II at t0 decreased rapidly in the stationary and sporulating phases. On the other hand, the E-I activity increased in the early sporulating stage and was about twofold higher at t3 than at t0. After t3, this activity also decreased rapidly and was not detected in forespores and mature spores. The relative amount of E-I at t0 was 3.4% of the total valyl-tRNA synthetase activity eluted from the hydroxyapatite column, 12.9% at t1 and 29.2% at t3, but it was less than 10% at t4 and in germinated cells. The alteration in E-I and E-II activities was also observed in cells of B. subtilis NIG 1121 (spo+), W23 and 168W, but not in any asporogenous mutant strain studied. These results show that the alteration in the valyl-tRNA synthetase activity appears only during the early stages of sporulation and is closely related to the sporulation of B. subtilis.

Glutamyl transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase of Escherichia coli. Study of the interactions with its substrates

The binding of the various substrates to Escherichia coli glutamyl-tRNA synthetase has been investigated by using as experimental approaches the binding study under equilibrium conditions and the substrate-induced protection of the enzyme against its thermal inactivation. The results show that ATP and tRNAGlu bind to the free enzyme, whereas glutamate binds only to an enzyme form to which glutamate-accepting tRNAGlu is associated. By use of modified E. coli tRNAsGlu and heterologous tRNAsGlu, a correlation could be established between the ability of tRNAGlu to be aminoacylated by glutamyl-tRNA synthetase and its abilities to promote the [32P]PPi-ATP isotope exchange and the binding of glutamate to the synthetase. These results give a possible explanation for the inability of blutamyl-tRNA synthetase to catalyze the isotope exchange in the absence of amino acid accepting tRNAGlu and for the failure to detect an enzyme-adenylate complex for this synthetase by using the usual approaches. One binding site was detected for each substrate. The specificity of the interaction of the various substrates has been further investigated. Concerning ATP, inhibition studies of the aminoacylation reaction by various analogues showed the existence of a synergistic effect between the adenine and the ribose residues for the interaction of adenosine. The primary recognition of ATP involves the N-1 and the 6-amino group of adenine as well as the 2'-OH group of ribose. This first interaction is then strengthened by the phosphate groups- Inhibition studies by various analogues of glutamate showed a strong decrease in the affinity of this substrate for the synthetase after substitution of the alpha- or gamma-carboxyl groups. The enzyme exhibits a marked tendency to complex tRNAs of other specificities even in the presence of tRNAGlu. MgCl2 and spermidine favor the specific interactions. The influence of monovalent ions and of pH on the interaction between glutamyl-tRNA synthetase and tRNAGlu is similar to those reported for other synthetases not requiring their cognate tRNA to bind the amino acid. Finally, contrary to that reported for other monomeric synthetases, no dimerization of glutamyl-tRNA synthetase occurs during the catalytic process.

Modified nucleosides of Bacillus subtilis transfer ribonucleic acids

An analysis of the kinds and amounts of minor nucleosides of transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNA's) from Bacillus subtilis 168 trpC2 is presented. Identification and quantitation were accomplished using ion exclusion chromatography, thin-layer and paper chromatography, and ultraviolet absorption properties. Nucleosides and their amount in moles per 80 residues are as follows: guanosine (25.7), cytidine (22.0), adenosine (15.2), uridine (13.1), 5-methyluridine (0.98), pseudouridine (1.54), 1-methyladenosine (0.15), N6-methyladenosine (0.01), 7-methyladenosine (0.10), 2-methyladenosine (0.03), 7-methylguanosine (0.20), N2-methylguanosine (0.14), 1-methylguanosine (0.14), a methylated pyrimidine (0.17), a methylated derivative of N6-(delta 2-isopentenyl)adenosine (0.02), ribose methylated nucleosides (0.02), 4-thiouridine (0.12), 2-thio-5-(N-methylaminomethyl) (0.09), and an unknown thionucleoside (0.12). Although the composition is similar to that of Escherichia coli in the proportion of major nucleosides, the content of pseudouridine and 5-methyluridine, and the degree of base and ribose methylation, the composition is more similar to that of the tRNA's of yeast and higher organisms in its lower degree of thiolation, the presence of significant amounts of 1-methyladenosine, and the low levels of 2-methyladenosine and 6-methyladenosine. Therefore, the nucleoside composition of B. subtilis presents some different aspects from those usually given as characteristic for bacterial tRNA's. It is not known whether these differences are due to variation between bacterial species in general or related to the process of differentiation.

Undermethylated transfer ribonucleic acid from a relaxed strain of Bacillus subtilis: construction of the strain and analysis of the transfer ribonucleic acid

A strain of Bacillus subtilis is described from which undermethylated transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) can be obtained. The tRNA's from a methionine-limited culture were compared with those from a control culture with respect to general nucleoside composition, methylated components, and amino acid acceptor activity. The undermethylated tRNA's had the normal amounts of the four major nucleosides, pseudouridine, and 5-methyluridine (ribothymidine), but were deficient in methylated nucleosides other than 5-methyluridine. These methyl-deficient nucleosides can be fully remethylated in the presence of the appropriate methylases. Since the majority of the work characterizing undermethylated tRNA's has been done using Escherichia coli, the work with B. subtilis presents some interesting comparisons and offers an alternative substrate for methylase studies.

Isolation of 30S and 50S active ribosomal subunits of Bacillus subtilis, Marburg strain

Active 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits were isolated from Bacillus subtilis. These subunits were able to perform not only protein synthesis in the presence of artificial or natural messenger ribonucleic acid but also the specific functions characteristic of each of the subunits. Thus the 30S subunits alone are able to bind formyl-methionyl-transfer ribonucleic acid, and the 50S subunits carry the peptidyl transferase activity.