Reaction of modified and unmodified tRNA(Tyr) substrates with tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (Bacillus stearothermophilus)

Plasticity and Constraints of tRNA Aminoacylation Define Directed Evolution of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases

Genetic incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) has become a powerful tool to enhance existing functions or introduce new ones into proteins through expanded chemistry. This technology relies on the process of nonsense suppression, which is made possible by directing aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) to attach an ncAA onto a cognate suppressor tRNA. However, different mechanisms govern aaRS specificity toward its natural amino acid (AA) substrate and hinder the engineering of aaRSs for applications beyond the incorporation of a single l-α-AA. Directed evolution of aaRSs therefore faces two interlinked challenges: the removal of the affinity for cognate AA and improvement of ncAA acylation. Here we review aspects of AA recognition that directly influence the feasibility and success of aaRS engineering toward d- and β-AAs incorporation into proteins in vivo. Emerging directed evolution methods are described and evaluated on the basis of aaRS active site plasticity and its inherent constraints.

Spectrophotometric assays for monitoring tRNA aminoacylation and aminoacyl-tRNA hydrolysis reactions

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases play a central role in protein synthesis, catalyzing the attachment of amino acids to their cognate tRNAs. Here, we describe a spectrophotometric assay for tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase in which the Tyr-tRNA product is cleaved, regenerating the tRNA substrate. As tRNA is the limiting substrate in the assay, recycling it substantially increases the sensitivity of the assay while simultaneously reducing its cost. The tRNA aminoacylation reaction is monitored spectrophotometrically by coupling the production of AMP to the conversion of NAD⁺ to NADH. We have adapted the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase assay to monitor: (1) aminoacylation of tRNA by l- or d-tyrosine, (2) cyclodipeptide formation by cyclodipeptide synthases, (3) hydrolysis of d-aminoacyl-tRNAs by d-tyrosyl-tRNA deacylase, and (4) post-transfer editing by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. All of these assays are continuous and homogenous, making them amenable for use in high-throughput screens of chemical libraries. In the case of the cyclodipeptide synthase, d-tyrosyl-tRNA deacylase, and post-transfer editing assays, the aminoacyl-tRNAs are generated in situ, avoiding the need to synthesize and purify aminoacyl-tRNA substrates prior to performing the assays. Lastly, we describe how the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase assay can be adapted to monitor the activity of other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and how the approach to regenerating the tRNA substrate can be used to increase the sensitivity and decrease the cost of commercially available aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase assays.

Improved Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids by an Engineered tRNA(Tyr) Suppressor

The Methanocaldcoccus jannaschii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS):tRNA(Tyr) cognate pair has been used to incorporate a large number of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. However, the structural elements of the suppressor tRNA(Tyr) used in these experiments have not been examined for optimal performance. Here, we evaluate the steady-state kinetic parameters of wild-type M. jannaschii TyrRS and an evolved 3-nitrotyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (nitroTyrRS) toward several engineered tRNA(Tyr) suppressors, and we correlate aminoacylation properties with the efficiency and fidelity of superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) synthesis in vivo. Optimal ncAA-sfGFP synthesis correlates with improved aminoacylation kinetics for a tRNA(Tyr) amber suppressor with two substitutions in the anticodon loop (G34C/G37A), while four additional mutations in the D and variable loops, present in the tRNA(Tyr) used in all directed evolution experiments to date, are deleterious to function both in vivo and in vitro. These findings extend to three of four other evolved TyrRS enzymes that incorporate distinct ncAAs. Suppressor tRNAs elicit decreases in amino acid Km values for both TyrRS and nitroTyrRS, suggesting that direct anticodon recognition by TyrRS need not be an impediment to superior performance of this orthogonal system and offering insight into novel approaches for directed evolution. The G34C/G37A tRNA(Tyr) may enhance future incorporation of many ncAAs by engineered TyrRS enzymes.

A continuous tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase assay that regenerates the tRNA substrate

Tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase catalyzes the attachment of tyrosine to the 3' end of tRNA(Tyr), releasing AMP, pyrophosphate, and l-tyrosyl-tRNA as products. Because this enzyme plays a central role in protein synthesis, it has garnered attention as a potential target for the development of novel antimicrobial agents. Although high-throughput assays that monitor tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase activity have been described, these assays generally use stoichiometric amounts of tRNA, limiting their sensitivity and increasing their cost. Here, we describe an alternate approach in which the Tyr-tRNA product is cleaved, regenerating the free tRNA substrate. We show that cyclodityrosine synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis can be used to cleave the l-Tyr-tRNA product, regenerating the tRNA(Tyr) substrate. Because tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase can use both l- and d-tyrosine as substrates, we replaced the cyclodityrosine synthase in the assay with d-tyrosyl-tRNA deacylase, which cleaves d-Tyr-tRNA. This substitution allowed us to use the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase assay to monitor the aminoacylation of tRNA(Tyr) by d-tyrosine. Furthermore, by making Tyr-tRNA cleavage the rate-limiting step, we are able to use the assay to monitor the activities of cyclodityrosine synthetase and d-tyrosyl-tRNA deacylase. Specific methods to extend the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase assay to monitor both the aminoacylation and post-transfer editing activities in other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are discussed.

Substrate activation and conformational dynamics of guanosine 5'-monophosphate synthetase

Glutamine amidotransferases catalyze the amination of a wide range of molecules using the amide nitrogen of glutamine. The family provides numerous examples for study of multi-active-site regulation and interdomain communication in proteins. Guanosine 5'-monophosphate synthetase (GMPS) is one of three glutamine amidotransferases in de novo purine biosynthesis and is responsible for the last step in the guanosine branch of the pathway, the amination of xanthosine 5'-monophosphate (XMP). In several amidotransferases, the intramolecular path of ammonia from glutamine to substrate is understood; however, the crystal structure of GMPS only hinted at the details of such transfer. Rapid kinetics studies provide insight into the mechanism of the substrate-induced changes in this complex enzyme. Rapid mixing of GMPS with substrates also manifests absorbance changes that report on the kinetics of formation of a reactive intermediate as well as steps in the process of rapid transfer of ammonia to this intermediate. Isolation and use of the adenylylated nucleotide intermediate allowed the study of the amido transfer reaction distinct from the ATP-dependent reaction. Changes in intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence upon mixing of enzyme with XMP suggest a conformational change upon substrate binding, likely the ordering of a highly conserved loop in addition to global domain motions. In the GMPS reaction, all forward rates before product release appear to be faster than steady-state turnover, implying that release is likely rate-limiting. These studies establish the functional role of a substrate-induced conformational change in the GMPS catalytic cycle and provide a kinetic context for the formation of an ammonia channel linking the distinct active sites.

Synthetic and editing mechanisms of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRS) ensure the faithful transmission of genetic information in all living cells. The 24 known aaRS families are divided into 2 structurally distinct classes (class I and class II), each featuring a catalytic domain with a common fold that binds ATP, amino acid, and the 3'-terminus of tRNA. In a common two-step reaction, each aaRS first uses the energy stored in ATP to synthesize an activated aminoacyl adenylate intermediate. In the second step, either the 2'- or 3'-hydroxyl oxygen atom of the 3'-A76 tRNA nucleotide functions as a nucleophile in synthesis of aminoacyl-tRNA. Ten of the 24 aaRS families are unable to distinguish cognate from noncognate amino acids in the synthetic reactions alone. These enzymes possess additional editing activities for hydrolysis of misactivated amino acids and misacylated tRNAs, with clearance of the latter species accomplished in spatially separate post-transfer editing domains. A distinct class of trans-acting proteins that are homologous to class II editing domains also perform hydrolytic editing of some misacylated tRNAs. Here we review essential themes in catalysis with a view toward integrating the kinetic, stereochemical, and structural mechanisms of the enzymes. Although the aaRS have now been the subject of investigation for many decades, it will be seen that a significant number of questions regarding fundamental catalytic functioning still remain unresolved.

Dominant Intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder is not due to a catalytic defect in tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder (CMT) is the most common inherited peripheral neuropathy, afflicting 1 in every 2500 Americans. One form of this disease, Dominant Intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder type C (DI-CMTC), is due to mutation of the gene encoding the cytoplasmic tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS). Three different TyrRS variants have been found to give rise to DI-CMTC: replacing glycine at position 41 by arginine (G41R), replacing glutamic acid at position 196 by lysine (E196K), and deleting amino acids 153-156 (Δ(153-156)). To test the hypothesis that DI-CMTC is due to a defect in the ability of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase to catalyze the aminoacylation of tRNA(Tyr), we have expressed each of these variants as recombinant proteins and used single turnover kinetics to characterize their abilities to catalyze the activation of tyrosine and its subsequent transfer to the 3' end of tRNA(Tyr). Two of the variants, G41R and Δ(153-156), display a substantial decrease in their ability to bind tyrosine (>100-fold). In contrast, the E196K substitution does not significantly affect the kinetics for formation of the tyrosyl-adenylate intermediate and actually increases the rate at which the tyrosyl moiety is transferred to tRNA(Tyr). The observation that the E196K substitution does not decrease the rate of catalysis indicates that DI-CMTC is not due to a catalytic defect in tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase.

Two-step aminoacylation of tRNA without channeling in Archaea

Catalysis of sequential reactions is often envisaged to occur by channeling of substrate between enzyme active sites without release into bulk solvent. However, while there are compelling physiological rationales for direct substrate transfer, proper experimental support for the hypothesis is often lacking, particularly for metabolic pathways involving RNA. Here, we apply transient kinetics approaches developed to study channeling in bienzyme complexes to an archaeal protein synthesis pathway featuring the misaminoacylated tRNA intermediate Glu-tRNA(Gln). Experimental and computational elucidation of a kinetic and thermodynamic framework for two-step cognate Gln-tRNA(Gln) synthesis demonstrates that the misacylating aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS(ND)) and the tRNA-dependent amidotransferase (GatDE) function sequentially without channeling. Instead, rapid processing of the misacylated tRNA intermediate by GatDE and preferential elongation factor binding to the cognate Gln-tRNA(Gln) together permit accurate protein synthesis without formation of a binary protein-protein complex between GluRS(ND) and GatDE. These findings establish an alternate paradigm for protein quality control via two-step pathways for cognate aminoacyl-tRNA formation.

Thermodynamic analysis reveals a temperature-dependent change in the catalytic mechanism of bacillus stearothermophilus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase

Catalysis of tRNA(Tyr) aminoacylation by tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase can be divided into two steps. In the first step, tyrosine is activated by ATP to form the tyrosyl-adenylate intermediate. In the second step, the tyrosyl moiety is transferred to the 3' end of tRNA. To investigate the roles that enthalpic and entropic contributions play in catalysis by Bacillus stearothermophilus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS), the temperature dependence for the activation of tyrosine and subsequent transfer to tRNA(Tyr) has been determined using single turnover kinetic methods. A van't Hoff plot for binding of ATP to the TyrRS.Tyr complex reveals three distinct regions. Particularly striking is the change occurring at 25 degrees C, where the values of DeltaH(0) and DeltaS(0) go from -144 kJ/mol and -438 J/mol K below 25 degrees C to +137.9 kJ/mol and +507 J/mol K above 25 degrees C. Nonlinear Eyring and van't Hoff plots are also observed for formation of the TyrRS.[Tyr-ATP](double dagger) and TyrRS.Tyr-AMP complexes. Comparing the van't Hoff plots for the binding of ATP to tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase in the absence and presence of saturating tyrosine concentrations indicates that the temperature-dependent changes in DeltaH(0) and DeltaS(0) for the binding of ATP only occur when tyrosine is bound to the enzyme. Previous investigations revealed a similar synergistic interaction between the tyrosine and ATP substrates when the "KMSKS" signature sequence is deleted or replaced by a nonfunctional sequence. We propose that the temperature-dependent changes in DeltaH(0) and DeltaS(0) are because of the KMSKS signature sequence being conformationally constrained and unable to disrupt this synergistic interaction below 25 degrees C.

Activation of D-tyrosine by Bacillus stearothermophilus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase: 1. Pre-steady-state kinetic analysis reveals the mechanistic basis for the recognition of D-tyrosine

Tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS) is able to catalyze the transfer of both l- and d-tyrosine to the 3' end of tRNA(Tyr). Activation of either stereoisomer by ATP results in formation of an enzyme-bound tyrosyl-adenylate intermediate and is accompanied by a blue shift in the intrinsic fluorescence of the protein. Single turnover kinetics for the aminoacylation of tRNA(Tyr) by D-tyrosine were monitored using stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy. Bacillus stearothermophilus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase binds d-tyrosine with an 8.5-fold lower affinity than that of l-tyrosine (K (D-Tyr)(d) = 102 microm) and exhibits a 3-fold decrease in the forward rate constant for the activation reaction (k (D-Tyr)(3) = 13 s(-1)). Furthermore, as is the case for l-tyrosine, tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase exhibits "half-of-the-sites" reactivity with respect to the binding and activation of D-tyrosine. Surprisingly, pyrophosphate binds to the TyrRS.d-Tyr-AMP intermediate with a 14-fold higher affinity than it binds to the TyrRS.l-Tyr-AMP intermediate (K (PPi)(d) = 0.043 for TyrRS.d-Tyr-AMP.PP(i)). tRNA(Tyr) binds with a slightly (2.3-fold) lower affinity to the TyrRS.d-Tyr-AMP intermediate than it does to the TyrRS.l-Tyr-AMP intermediate. The observation that the K (Tyr)(d) and k(3) values are similar for l- and d-tyrosine suggests that their side chains bind to tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase in similar orientations and that at least one of the carboxylate oxygen atoms in d-tyrosine is properly positioned for attack on the alpha-phosphate of ATP.

Activation of D-tyrosine by Bacillus stearothermophilus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase: 2. Cooperative binding of ATP is limited to the initial turnover of the enzyme

The activation of D-tyrosine by tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase has been investigated using single and multiple turnover kinetic methods. In the presence of saturating concentrations of D-tyrosine, the activation reaction displays sigmoidal kinetics with respect to ATP concentration under single turnover conditions. In contrast, when the kinetics for the activation reaction are monitored using a steady-state (multiple turnover) pyrophosphate exchange assay, Michaelis-Menten kinetics are observed. Previous investigations indicated that activation of l-tyrosine by the K233A variant of Bacillus stearothermophilus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase displays sigmoidal kinetics similar to those observed for activation of d-tyrosine by the wild-type enzyme. Kinetic analyses indicate that the sigmoidal behavior of the d-tyrosine activation reaction is not enhanced when Lys-233 is replaced by alanine. This supports the hypothesis that the mechanistic basis for the sigmoidal behavior is the same for both d-tyrosine activation by wild-type tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase and activation of l-tyrosine by the K233A variant. The observed sigmoidal behavior presents a paradox, as tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase displays an extreme form of negative cooperativity, known as "half-of-the-sites reactivity," with respect to tyrosine binding and tyrosyl-adenylate formation. We propose that the binding of D-tyrosine weakens the affinity with which ATP binds to the functional subunit in tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase. This allows ATP to bind initially to the nonfunctional subunit, inducing a conformational change in the enzyme that enhances the affinity of the functional subunit for ATP. The observation that sigmoidal kinetics are observed only under single turnover conditions suggests that this conformational change is stable over multiple rounds of catalysis.

Methods for kinetic and thermodynamic analysis of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

The accuracy of protein synthesis relies on the ability of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) to discriminate among true and near cognate substrates. To date, analysis of aaRSs function, including identification of residues of aaRS participating in amino acid and tRNA discrimination, has largely relied on the steady state kinetic pyrophosphate exchange and aminoacylation assays. Pre-steady state kinetic studies investigating a more limited set of aaRS systems have also been undertaken to assess the energetic contributions of individual enzyme-substrate interactions, particularly in the adenylation half reaction. More recently, a renewed interest in the use of rapid kinetics approaches for aaRSs has led to their application to several new aaRS systems, resulting in the identification of mechanistic differences that distinguish the two structurally distinct aaRS classes. Here, we review the techniques for thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of aaRS function. Following a brief survey of methods for the preparation of materials and for steady state kinetic analysis, this review will describe pre-steady state kinetic methods employing rapid quench and stopped-flow fluorescence for analysis of the activation and aminoacyl transfer reactions. Application of these methods to any aaRS system allows the investigator to derive detailed kinetic mechanisms for the activation and aminoacyl transfer reactions, permitting issues of substrate specificity, stereochemical mechanism, and inhibitor interaction to be addressed in a rigorous and quantitative fashion.

A single residue in leucyl-tRNA synthetase affecting amino acid specificity and tRNA aminoacylation

Human mitochondrial leucyl-tRNA synthetase (hs mt LeuRS) achieves high aminoacylation fidelity without a functional editing active site, representing a rare example of a class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS) that does not proofread its products. Previous studies demonstrated that the enzyme achieves high selectivity by using a more specific synthetic active site that is not prone to errors under physiological conditions. Interestingly, the synthetic active site of hs mt LeuRS displays a high degree of homology with prokaryotic, lower eukaryotic, and other mitochondrial LeuRSs that are less specific. However, there is one residue that differs between hs mt and Escherichia coli LeuRSs located on a flexible closing loop near the signature KMSKS motif. Here we describe studies indicating that this particular residue (K600 in hs mt LeuRS and L570 in E. coli LeuRS) strongly impacts aminoacylation in two ways: it affects both amino acid discrimination and transfer RNA (tRNA) binding. While this residue may not be in direct contact with the amino acid or tRNA substrate, substitutions of this position in both enzymes lead to altered catalytic efficiency and perturbations to the discrimination of leucine and isoleucine. In addition, tRNA recognition and aminoacylation is affected. These findings indicate that the conformation of the synthetic active site, modulated by this residue, may be coupled to specificity and provide new insights into the origins of selectivity without editing.

Amino Acid-dependent Transfer RNA Affinity in a Class I Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase

Steady-state and transient kinetic analyses of glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) reveal that the enzyme discriminates against noncognate glutamate at multiple steps during the overall aminoacylation reaction. A major portion of the selectivity arises in the amino acid activation portion of the reaction, whereas the discrimination in the overall two-step reaction arises from very weak binding of noncognate glutamate. Further transient kinetics experiments showed that tRNA(Gln) binds to GlnRS approximately 60-fold weaker when noncognate glutamate is present and that glutamate reduces the association rate of tRNA with the enzyme by 100-fold. These findings demonstrate that amino acid and tRNA binding are interdependent and reveal an important additional source of specificity in the aminoacylation reaction. Crystal structures of the GlnRS x tRNA complex bound to either amino acid have previously shown that glutamine and glutamate bind in distinct positions in the active site, providing a structural basis for the amino acid-dependent modulation of tRNA affinity. Together with other crystallographic data showing that ligand binding is essential to assembly of the GlnRS active site, these findings suggest a model for specificity generation in which required induced-fit rearrangements are significantly modulated by the identities of the bound substrates.

Long-range intramolecular signaling in a tRNA synthetase complex revealed by pre-steady-state kinetics

Pre-steady-state kinetic studies of Escherichia coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase conclusively demonstrate the existence of long-distance pathways of communication through the protein-RNA complex. Measurements of aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis reveal a rapid burst of product formation followed by a slower linear increase corresponding to k(cat). Thus, a step after chemistry but before regeneration of active enzyme is rate-limiting for synthesis of Gln-tRNA(Gln). Single-turnover kinetics validates these observations, confirming that the rate of the chemical step for tRNA aminoacylation (k(chem)) exceeds the steady-state rate by nearly 10-fold. The concentration dependence of the single-turnover reaction further reveals that the glutamine K(d) is significantly higher than the steady-state K(m) value. The separation of binding from catalytic events by transient kinetics now allows precise interpretation of how alterations in tRNA structure affect the aminoacylation reaction. Mutation of U35 in the tRNA anticodon loop decreases k(chem) by 30-fold and weakens glutamine binding affinity by 20-fold, demonstrating that the active-site configuration depends on enzyme-tRNA contacts some 40 A distant. By contrast, mutation of the adjacent G36 has very small effects on k(chem) and K(d) for glutamine. Together with x-ray crystallographic data, these findings allow a comparative evaluation of alternative long-range signaling pathways and lay the groundwork for systematic exploration of how induced-fit conformational transitions may control substrate selection in this model enzyme-RNA complex.

tRNA modification by S-adenosylmethionine:tRNA ribosyltransferase-isomerase. Assay development and characterization of the recombinant enzyme

The enzyme S-adenosylmethionine:tRNA ribosyltransferase-isomerase catalyzes the penultimate step in the biosynthesis of the hypermodified tRNA nucleoside queuosine (Q), an unprecedented ribosyl transfer from the cofactor S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) to a modified-tRNA precursor to generate epoxyqueuosine (oQ). The complexity of the reaction makes it an especially interesting mechanistic problem, and as a foundation for detailed kinetic and mechanistic studies we have carried out the basic characterization of the enzyme. Importantly, to allow for the direct measurement of oQ formation, we have developed protocols for the preparation of homogeneous substrates; specifically, an overexpression system was constructed for tRNA(Tyr) in an E. coli queA deletion mutant to allow for the isolation of large quantities of substrate tRNA, and [U-ribosyl-(14)C]AdoMet was synthesized. The enzyme shows optimal activity at pH 8.7 in buffers containing various oxyanions, including acetate, carbonate, EDTA, and phosphate. Unexpectedly, the enzyme was inhibited by Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) in millimolar concentrations. The steady-state kinetic parameters were determined to be K(m)(AdoMet) = 101.4 microm, K(m)(tRNA) = 1.5 microm, and k(cat) = 2.5 min(-1). A short minihelix RNA was synthesized and modified with the precursor 7-aminomethyl-7-deazaguanine, and this served as an efficient substrate for the enzyme (K(m)(RNA) = 37.7 microm and k(cat) = 14.7 min(-1)), demonstrating that the anticodon stem-loop is sufficient for recognition and catalysis by QueA.

Stabilization of the transition state for the transfer of tyrosine to tRNA(Tyr) by tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase

Aminoacylation of tRNA(Tyr) involves two steps: (1) tyrosine activation to form the tyrosyl-adenylate intermediate; and (2) transfer of tyrosine from the tyrosyl-adenylate intermediate to tRNA(Tyr). In Bacillus stearothermophilus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, Asp78, Tyr169, and Gln173 have been shown to form hydrogen bonds with the alpha-ammonium group of the tyrosine substrate during the first step of the aminoacylation reaction. Asp194 and Gln195 stabilize the transition state complex for the first step of the reaction by hydrogen bonding with the 2'-hydroxyl group of AMP and the carboxylate oxygen atom of tyrosine, respectively. Here, the roles that Asp78, Tyr169, Gln173, Asp194, and Gln195 play in catalysis of the second step of the reaction are investigated. Pre-steady-state kinetic analyses of alanine variants at each of these positions shows that while the replacement of Gln173 by alanine does not affect the initial binding of the tRNA(Tyr) substrate, it destabilizes the transition state complex for the second step of the reaction by 2.3 kcal/mol. None of the other alanine substitutions affects either the initial binding of the tRNA(Tyr) substrate or the stability of the transition state for the second step of the aminoacylation reaction. Taken together, the results presented here and the accompanying paper are consistent with a concerted reaction mechanism for the transfer of tyrosine to tRNA(Tyr), and suggest that catalysis of the second step of tRNA(Tyr) aminoacylation involves stabilization of a transition state in which the scissile acylphosphate bond of the tyrosyl-adenylate species is strained. Cleavage of the scissile bond on the breakdown of the transition state alleviates this strain.

Correlating amino acid conservation with function in tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase

Sequence comparisons have been combined with mutational and kinetic analyses to elucidate how the catalytic mechanism of Bacillus stearothermophilus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase evolved. Catalysis of tRNA(Tyr) aminoacylation by tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase involves two steps: activation of the tyrosine substrate by ATP to form an enzyme-bound tyrosyl-adenylate intermediate, and transfer of tyrosine from the tyrosyl-adenylate intermediate to tRNA(Tyr). Previous investigations indicate that the class I conserved KMSKS motif is involved in only the first step of the reaction (i.e. tyrosine activation). Here, we demonstrate that the class I conserved HIGH motif also is involved only in the tyrosine activation step. In contrast, one amino acid that is conserved in a subset of the class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, Thr40, and two amino acids that are present only in tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases, Lys82 and Arg86, stabilize the transition states for both steps of the tRNA aminoacylation reaction. These results imply that stabilization of the transition state for the first step of the reaction by the class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases preceded stabilization of the transition state for the second step of the reaction. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the ability of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases to catalyze the activation of amino acids with ATP preceded their ability to catalyze attachment of the amino acid to the 3' end of tRNA. We propose that the primordial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases replaced a ribozyme whose function was to promote the reaction of amino acids and other small molecules with ATP.

Chloride affects the interaction between tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase and tRNA

The physiological concentration of free magnesium in Escherichia coli cells is about 1 mM, and there is almost no chloride in the cell. When the aminoacylation of tRNA by tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase was assayed at 1 mM free Mg2+, chloride (and sulphate) ions inhibited the reaction but acetate at the same concentration (< 200 mM) was not inhibitory. When the magnesium concentration was increased to 10 mM there was almost no chloride inhibition any more. Chloride strengthened the PPi inhibition, the Ki(app)(PPi) values at 1 mM free Mg2+ were 140, 120, and 56 microM at 0, 50 and 150 mM KCl, respectively. Chloride weakened the AMP inhibition, the corresponding values for Ki(app)(AMP) were 0.35, 0.5, and 0.9 mM. The value of Km(app)(tRNA(Tyr)) was clearly increased by chloride, being 22, 37, 93, and 240 nM at 0, 50, 100, and 150 mM KCl, respectively. Best-fit analyses of the PPi inhibition, AMP inhibition and Km(app)(tRNA) assays were accomplished using total rate equations. The analysis showed that the only kinetic events which are obligatory to explain the chloride effects are a weakened binding of Mg2+ to the tRNA before the transfer reaction and a weakened binding of Mg2+ to the Tyr-tRNA-enzyme complex after the transfer reaction. The dissociation constants for the former were 0.11, 0.3, and 2.8 mM and for the latter 0.6, 2.5, and 13 mM at 0, 50 and 150 mM KCl, respectively. Mg2+ is required for the reactive conformation of tRNA in the transfer reaction but chloride weakens its formation. After the transfer reaction the dissociation of Mg2+ from the aa-tRNA-enzyme complex enhances the dissociation of the aa-tRNA from the enzyme. The kinetics and the chloride effect were similar in the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases from both Bacillus stearothermophilus and E. coli.

Transfer RNA identity contributes to transition state stabilization during aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis

Sequence-specific interactions between aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and their cognate tRNAs ensure both accurate RNA recognition and the efficient catalysis of aminoacylation. The effects of tRNA(Trp)variants on the aminoacylation reaction catalyzed by wild-type Escherichia coli tryptophanyl-tRNA synthe-tase (TrpRS) have now been investigated by stopped-flow fluorimetry, which allowed a pre-steady-state analysis to be undertaken. This showed that tRNA(Trp)identity has some effect on the ability of tRNA to bind the reaction intermediate TrpRS-tryptophanyl-adenylate, but predominantly affects the rate at which trypto-phan is transferred from TrpRS-tryptophanyl adenylate to tRNA. Use of the binding ( K (tRNA)) and rate constants ( k (4)) to determine the energetic levels of the various species in the aminoacylation reaction showed a difference of approximately 2 kcal mol(-1)in the barrier to transition state formation compared to wild-type for both tRNA(Trp)A-->C73 and. These results directly show that tRNA identity contributes to the degree of complementarity to the transition state for tRNA charging in the active site of an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase:aminoacyl-adenylate:tRNA complex.

Dimeric tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from Bacillus stearothermophilus unfolds through a monomeric intermediate. A quantitative analysis under equilibrium conditions

Tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from Bacillus stearothermophilus comprises an N-terminal domain (residues 1-319), which is dimeric and forms tyrosyladenylate, and a C-terminal domain (residues 320-419), which binds the anticodon arm of tRNATyr. The N-terminal domain has the characteristic fold of the class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. The unfolding of the N-terminal domain by urea at 25 degreesC under equilibrium conditions was monitored by its intensities of light emission at 330 and 350 nm, the ratio of these intensities, its ellipticity at 229 nm, and its partition coefficient, in spectrofluorometry, circular dichroism, and size-exclusion chromatography experiments, respectively. These experiments showed the existence of an equilibrium between the native dimeric state of the N-terminal domain, a monomeric intermediate state, and the unfolded state. The intermediate was compact and had secondary structure, and its tryptophan residues were partially buried. These properties of the intermediate and its inability to bind 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate showed that it was not in a molten globular state. The variation of free energy deltaG(H2O) and its coefficient m of dependence on the concentration of urea were, respectively, 13.8 +/- 0.2 kcal.mol-1 and 0.9 +/- 0.1 kcal.mol-1.M-1 for the dissociation of the native dimer and 13.9 +/- 0.6 kcal.mol-1 and 2.5 +/- 0.1 kcal.mol-1.M-1 for the unfolding of the monomeric intermediate.

Detection of noncovalent tRNA.aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complexes by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) was used for the study of complexes formed by yeast seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS) and tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS) with tRNASer and tRNATyr. Cognate and noncognate complexes were easily distinguished due to a large mass difference between the two tRNAs. Both homodimeric synthetases gave MS spectra indicating intact desorption of dimers. The spectra of synthetase-cognate tRNA mixtures showed peaks of free components and peaks assigned to complexes. Noncognate complexes were also detected. In competition experiments, where both tRNA species were mixed with each enzyme only cognate alpha2.tRNA complexes were observed. Only cognate alpha2.tRNA2 complexes were detected with each enzyme. These results demonstrate that MALDI-MS can be used successfully for accurate mass and, thus, stoichiometry determination of specific high molecular weight noncovalent protein-nucleic acid complexes.

Human tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase shares amino acid sequence homology with a putative cytokine

To test the hypothesis that tRNATyr recognition differs between bacterial and human tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases, we sequenced several clones identified as human tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase cDNAs by the Human Genome Project. We found that human tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase is composed of three domains: 1) an amino-terminal Rossmann fold domain that is responsible for formation of the activated E.Tyr-AMP intermediate and is conserved among bacteria, archeae, and eukaryotes; 2) a tRNA anticodon recognition domain that has not been conserved between bacteria and eukaryotes; and 3) a carboxyl-terminal domain that is unique to the human tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase and whose primary structure is 49% identical to the putative human cytokine endothelial monocyte-activating protein II, 50% identical to the carboxyl-terminal domain of methionyl-tRNA synthetase from Caenorhabditis elegans, and 43% identical to the carboxyl-terminal domain of Arc1p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The first two domains of the human tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase are 52, 36, and 16% identical to tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases from S. cerevisiae, Methanococcus jannaschii, and Bacillus stearothermophilus, respectively. Nine of fifteen amino acids known to be involved in the formation of the tyrosyl-adenylate complex in B. stearothermophilus are conserved across all of the organisms, whereas amino acids involved in the recognition of tRNATyr are not conserved. Kinetic analyses of recombinant human and B. stearothermophilus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases expressed in Escherichia coli indicate that human tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase aminoacylates human but not B. stearothermophilus tRNATyr, and vice versa, supporting the original hypothesis. It is proposed that like endothelial monocyte-activating protein II and the carboxyl-terminal domain of Arc1p, the carboxyl-terminal domain of human tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase evolved from gene duplication of the carboxyl-terminal domain of methionyl-tRNA synthetase and may direct tRNA to the active site of the enzyme.

Increased rates of tRNA charging through modification of the enzyme-aminoacyl-adenylate complex of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase

The transfer of amino acid to tRNA by Escherichia coli phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS) was studied using replacements of Ala294 in the alpha subunit previously shown to have modified amino acid specificity. Steady-state analysis of tRNA charging showed little difference between wild-type and mutants, whereas pre-steady-state analysis revealed higher rates of tRNA charging by both the A294S PheRS-phenylalanyl adenylate and the A294G PheRS-p-Cl-phenylalanyl adenylate. The decrease in energy required for the formation of the transition state of amino acid transfer in these mutants could be related to a weaker binding of the amino acid in the aminoacyl adenylate complex. Thus a compromise appears to exist between amino acid activation and tRNA charging, because slowing down the first step increases the rate of the second step, possibly as a result of decreased stability of the PheRS.amino acid-AMP complex.

Seryl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli: implication of its N-terminal domain in aminoacylation activity and specificity

Escherichia coli seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS) a dimeric class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase with two structural domains charges specifically the five iso-acceptor tRNA(ser) as well as the tRNA(sec) (selC product) of E. coli. The N-terminal domain is a 60 A long arm-like coiled coil structure built of 2 long antiparallel a-h helices, whereas the C-terminal domain is a alpha-beta structure. A deletion of the N-terminal arm of the enzyme does not affect the amino acid activation step of the reaction, but reduces dramatically amino-acylation activity. The Kcat/Km value for the mutant enzyme is reduced by more than 4 orders of magnitude, with a nearly 30 fold increased Km value for tRNA(ser). An only slightly truncated mutant form (16 amino acids of the tip of the arm replaced by a glycine) has an intermediate aminoacylation activity. Both mutant synthetases have lost their specificity for tRNA(ser) and charge also non-cognate type 1 tRNA(s). Our results support the hypothesis that class II synthetases have evolved from an ancestral catalytic core enzyme by adding non-catalytic N-terminal or C-terminal tRNA binding (specificity) domains which act as determinants for cognate and anti-determinants for non-cognate tRNAs.

Discrimination between transfer-RNAs by tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase

We have constructed a model of the complex between tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS) from Bacillus stearothermophilus and tRNA(Tyr) by successive cycles of predictions, mutagenesis of TyrRS and molecular modeling. We confront this model with data obtained independently, compare it to the crystal structures of other complexes and review recent data on the discrimination between tRNAs by TyrRS. Comparison of the crystal structures of TyrRS and GlnRS, both of which are class I synthetases, and comparison of the identity elements of tRNA(Tyr) and tRNA(Gln) indicate that the two synthetases bind their cognate tRNAs differently. The mutagenesis data on tRNA(Tyr) confirm the model of the TyrRS:tRNA(Tyr) complex on the following points. TyrRS approaches tRNA(Tyr) on the side of the variable loop. The bases of the first three pairs of the acceptor stem are not recognized. The presence of the NH2 group in position C6 and the absence of a bulky group in position C2 are important for the recognition of the discriminator base A73 by TyrRS, which is fully realized only in the transition state for the acyl transfer. The anticodon is the major identity element of tRNA(Tyr). We have set up an in vivo approach to study the effects of synthetase mutations on the discrimination between tRNAs. Using this approach, we have shown that residue Glu152 of TyrRS acts as a purely negative discriminant towards non-cognate tRNAs, by electrostatic and steric repulsions. The overproductions of the wild type TyrRSs from E coli and B stearothermophilus are toxic to E coli, due to the mischarging or the non-productive binding of tRNAs. The construction of a family of hybrids between the TyrRSs from E coli and B stearothermophilus has shown that their sequences and structures have remained locally compatible through evolution, for folding and function, in particular for the specific recognition and charging of tRNA(Tyr).