Crystal structure and evolution of a transfer RNA splicing enzyme

RNA Repair: Hiding in Plain Sight

Enzymes that phosphorylate, dephosphorylate, and ligate RNA 5' and 3' ends were discovered more than half a century ago and were eventually shown to repair purposeful site-specific endonucleolytic breaks in the RNA phosphodiester backbone. The pace of discovery and characterization of new candidate RNA repair activities in taxa from all phylogenetic domains greatly exceeds our understanding of the biological pathways in which they act. The key questions anent RNA break repair in vivo are (a) identifying the triggers, agents, and targets of RNA cleavage and (b) determining whether RNA repair results in restoration of the original RNA, modification of the RNA (by loss or gain at the ends), or rearrangements of the broken RNA segments (i.e., RNA recombination). This review provides a perspective on the discovery, mechanisms, and physiology of purposeful RNA break repair, highlighting exemplary repair pathways (e.g., tRNA restriction-repair and tRNA splicing) for which genetics has figured prominently in their elucidation.

Recognition and cleavage mechanism of intron-containing pre-tRNA by human TSEN endonuclease complex

Removal of introns from transfer RNA precursors (pre-tRNAs) occurs in all living organisms. This is a vital phase in the maturation and functionality of tRNA. Here we present a 3.2 Å-resolution cryo-EM structure of an active human tRNA splicing endonuclease complex bound to an intron-containing pre-tRNA. TSEN54, along with the unique regions of TSEN34 and TSEN2, cooperatively recognizes the mature body of pre-tRNA and guides the anticodon-intron stem to the correct position for splicing. We capture the moment when the endonucleases are poised for cleavage, illuminating the molecular mechanism for both 3' and 5' cleavage reactions. Two insertion loops from TSEN54 and TSEN2 cover the 3' and 5' splice sites, respectively, trapping the scissile phosphate in the center of the catalytic triad of residues. Our findings reveal the molecular mechanism for eukaryotic pre-tRNA recognition and cleavage, as well as the evolutionary relationship between archaeal and eukaryotic TSENs.

New insights into RNA processing by the eukaryotic tRNA splicing endonuclease

Through its role in intron cleavage, tRNA splicing endonuclease (TSEN) plays a critical function in the maturation of intron-containing pre-tRNAs. The catalytic mechanism and core requirement for this process is conserved between archaea and eukaryotes, but for decades, it has been known that eukaryotic TSENs have evolved additional modes of RNA recognition, which have remained poorly understood. Recent research identified new roles for eukaryotic TSEN, including processing or degradation of additional RNA substrates, and determined the first structures of pre-tRNA-bound human TSEN complexes. These recent discoveries have changed our understanding of how the eukaryotic TSEN targets and recognizes substrates. Here, we review these recent discoveries, their implications, and the new questions raised by these findings.

The life and times of a tRNA

The study of eukaryotic tRNA processing has given rise to an explosion of new information and insights in the last several years. We now have unprecedented knowledge of each step in the tRNA processing pathway, revealing unexpected twists in biochemical pathways, multiple new connections with regulatory pathways, and numerous biological effects of defects in processing steps that have profound consequences throughout eukaryotes, leading to growth phenotypes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and to neurological and other disorders in humans. This review highlights seminal new results within the pathways that comprise the life of a tRNA, from its birth after transcription until its death by decay. We focus on new findings and revelations in each step of the pathway including the end-processing and splicing steps, many of the numerous modifications throughout the main body and anticodon loop of tRNA that are so crucial for tRNA function, the intricate tRNA trafficking pathways, and the quality control decay pathways, as well as the biogenesis and biology of tRNA-derived fragments. We also describe the many interactions of these pathways with signaling and other pathways in the cell.

Structural basis for pre-tRNA recognition and processing by the human tRNA splicing endonuclease complex

Throughout bacteria, archaea and eukarya, certain tRNA transcripts contain introns. Pre-tRNAs with introns require splicing to form the mature anticodon stem loop. In eukaryotes, tRNA splicing is initiated by the heterotetrameric tRNA splicing endonuclease (TSEN) complex. All TSEN subunits are essential, and mutations within the complex are associated with a family of neurodevelopmental disorders known as pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH). Here, we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of the human TSEN-pre-tRNA complex. These structures reveal the overall architecture of the complex and the extensive tRNA binding interfaces. The structures share homology with archaeal TSENs but contain additional features important for pre-tRNA recognition. The TSEN54 subunit functions as a pivotal scaffold for the pre-tRNA and the two endonuclease subunits. Finally, the TSEN structures enable visualization of the molecular environments of PCH-causing missense mutations, providing insight into the mechanism of pre-tRNA splicing and PCH.

Structural basis of substrate recognition by human tRNA splicing endonuclease TSEN

Heterotetrameric human transfer RNA (tRNA) splicing endonuclease TSEN catalyzes intron excision from precursor tRNAs (pre-tRNAs), utilizing two composite active sites. Mutations in TSEN and its associated RNA kinase CLP1 are linked to the neurodegenerative disease pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH). Despite the essential function of TSEN, the three-dimensional assembly of TSEN-CLP1, the mechanism of substrate recognition, and the structural consequences of disease mutations are not understood in molecular detail. Here, we present single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy reconstructions of human TSEN with intron-containing pre-tRNAs. TSEN recognizes the body of pre-tRNAs and pre-positions the 3' splice site for cleavage by an intricate protein-RNA interaction network. TSEN subunits exhibit large unstructured regions flexibly tethering CLP1. Disease mutations localize far from the substrate-binding interface and destabilize TSEN. Our work delineates molecular principles of pre-tRNA recognition and cleavage by human TSEN and rationalizes mutations associated with PCH.

Structural basis of pre-tRNA intron removal by human tRNA splicing endonuclease

Removal of the intron from precursor-tRNA (pre-tRNA) is essential in all three kingdoms of life. In humans, this process is mediated by the tRNA splicing endonuclease (TSEN) comprising four subunits: TSEN2, TSEN15, TSEN34, and TSEN54. Here, we report the cryo-EM structures of human TSEN bound to full-length pre-tRNA in the pre-catalytic and post-catalytic states at average resolutions of 2.94 and 2.88 Å, respectively. Human TSEN features an extended surface groove that holds the L-shaped pre-tRNA. The mature domain of pre-tRNA is recognized by conserved structural elements of TSEN34, TSEN54, and TSEN2. Such recognition orients the anticodon stem of pre-tRNA and places the 3'-splice site and 5'-splice site into the catalytic centers of TSEN34 and TSEN2, respectively. The bulk of the intron sequences makes no direct interaction with TSEN, explaining why pre-tRNAs of varying introns can be accommodated and cleaved. Our structures reveal the molecular ruler mechanism of pre-tRNA cleavage by TSEN.

Recent insights into the structure, function, and regulation of the eukaryotic transfer RNA splicing endonuclease complex

The splicing of transfer RNA (tRNA) introns is a critical step of tRNA maturation, for intron-containing tRNAs. In eukaryotes, tRNA splicing is a multi-step process that relies on several RNA processing enzymes to facilitate intron removal and exon ligation. Splicing is initiated by the tRNA splicing endonuclease (TSEN) complex which catalyzes the excision of the intron through its two nuclease subunits. Mutations in all four subunits of the TSEN complex are linked to a family of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases known as pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH). Recent studies provide molecular insights into the structure, function, and regulation of the eukaryotic TSEN complex and are beginning to illuminate how mutations in the TSEN complex lead to neurodegenerative disease. Using new advancements in the prediction of protein structure, we created a three-dimensional model of the human TSEN complex. We review functions of the TSEN complex beyond tRNA splicing by highlighting recently identified substrates of the eukaryotic TSEN complex and discuss mechanisms for the regulation of tRNA splicing, by enzymes that modify cleaved tRNA exons and introns. Finally, we review recent biochemical and animal models that have worked to address the mechanisms that drive PCH and synthesize these studies with previous studies to try to better understand PCH pathogenesis. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > tRNA Processing RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Recognition.

Eukaryotic tRNA splicing - one goal, two strategies, many players

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are transcribed as precursor molecules that undergo several maturation steps before becoming functional for protein synthesis. One such processing mechanism is the enzyme-catalysed splicing of intron-containing pre-tRNAs. Eukaryotic tRNA splicing is an essential process since intron-containing tRNAs cannot fulfil their canonical function at the ribosome. Splicing of pre-tRNAs occurs in two steps: The introns are first excised by a tRNA-splicing endonuclease and the exons are subsequently sealed by an RNA ligase. An intriguing complexity has emerged from newly identified tRNA splicing factors and their interplay with other RNA processing pathways during the past few years. This review summarises our current understanding of eukaryotic tRNA splicing and the underlying enzyme machinery. We highlight recent structural advances and how they have shaped our mechanistic understanding of tRNA splicing in eukaryotic cells. A special focus lies on biochemically distinct strategies for exon-exon ligation in fungi versus metazoans.

Crystal structure and initial characterization of a novel archaeal-like Holliday junction-resolving enzyme from Thermus thermophilus phage Tth15-6

This study describes the production, characterization and structure determination of a novel Holliday junction-resolving enzyme. The enzyme, termed Hjc_15-6, is encoded in the genome of phage Tth15-6, which infects Thermus thermophilus. Hjc_15-6 was heterologously produced in Escherichia coli and high yields of soluble and biologically active recombinant enzyme were obtained in both complex and defined media. Amino-acid sequence and structure comparison suggested that the enzyme belongs to a group of enzymes classified as archaeal Holliday junction-resolving enzymes, which are typically divalent metal ion-binding dimers that are able to cleave X-shaped dsDNA–Holliday junctions (Hjs). The crystal structure of Hjc_15-6 was determined to 2.5 Å resolution using the selenomethionine single-wavelength anomalous dispersion method. To our knowledge, this is the first crystal structure of an Hj-resolving enzyme originating from a bacteriophage that can be classified as an archaeal type of Hj-resolving enzyme. As such, it represents a new fold for Hj-resolving enzymes from phages. Characterization of the structure of Hjc_15-6 suggests that it may form a dimer, or even a homodimer of dimers, and activity studies show endonuclease activity towards Hjs. Furthermore, based on sequence analysis it is proposed that Hjc_15-6 has a three-part catalytic motif corresponding to E–SD–EVK, and this motif may be common among other Hj-resolving enzymes originating from thermophilic bacteriophages.

Archaeal tRNA-Splicing Endonuclease as an Effector for RNA Recombination and Novel Trans-Splicing Pathways in Eukaryotes

We have characterized a homodimeric tRNA endonuclease from the euryarchaeota Ferroplasma acidarmanus (FERAC), a facultative anaerobe which can grow at temperatures ranging from 35 to 42 °C. This enzyme, contrary to the eukaryal tRNA endonucleases and the homotetrameric Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (METJA) homologs, is able to cleave minimal BHB (bulge–helix–bulge) substrates at 30 °C. The expression of this enzyme in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (SCHPO) enables the use of its properties as effectors by inserting BHB motif introns into hairpin loops normally seen in mRNA transcripts. In addition, the FERAC endonuclease can create proteins with new functionalities through the recombination of protein domains.

Molecular architecture of the human tRNA ligase complex

RtcB enzymes are RNA ligases that play essential roles in tRNA splicing, unfolded protein response, and RNA repair. In metazoa, RtcB functions as part of a five-subunit tRNA ligase complex (tRNA-LC) along with Ddx1, Cgi-99, Fam98B, and Ashwin. The human tRNA-LC or its individual subunits have been implicated in additional cellular processes including microRNA maturation, viral replication, DNA double-strand break repair, and mRNA transport. Here, we present a biochemical analysis of the inter-subunit interactions within the human tRNA-LC along with crystal structures of the catalytic subunit RTCB and the N-terminal domain of CGI-99. We show that the core of the human tRNA-LC is assembled from RTCB and the C-terminal alpha-helical regions of DDX1, CGI-99, and FAM98B, all of which are required for complex integrity. The N-terminal domain of CGI-99 displays structural homology to calponin-homology domains, and CGI-99 and FAM98B associate via their N-terminal domains to form a stable subcomplex. The crystal structure of GMP-bound RTCB reveals divalent metal coordination geometry in the active site, providing insights into its catalytic mechanism. Collectively, these findings shed light on the molecular architecture and mechanism of the human tRNA ligase complex and provide a structural framework for understanding its functions in cellular RNA metabolism.

Assembly defects of human tRNA splicing endonuclease contribute to impaired pre-tRNA processing in pontocerebellar hypoplasia

Introns of human transfer RNA precursors (pre-tRNAs) are excised by the tRNA splicing endonuclease TSEN in complex with the RNA kinase CLP1. Mutations in TSEN/CLP1 occur in patients with pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH), however, their role in the disease is unclear. Here, we show that intron excision is catalyzed by tetrameric TSEN assembled from inactive heterodimers independently of CLP1. Splice site recognition involves the mature domain and the anticodon-intron base pair of pre-tRNAs. The 2.1-Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of a TSEN15–34 heterodimer and differential scanning fluorimetry analyses show that PCH mutations cause thermal destabilization. While endonuclease activity in recombinant mutant TSEN is unaltered, we observe assembly defects and reduced pre-tRNA cleavage activity resulting in an imbalanced pre-tRNA pool in PCH patient-derived fibroblasts. Our work defines the molecular principles of intron excision in humans and provides evidence that modulation of TSEN stability may contribute to PCH phenotypes.

Mutations within subunits of the tRNA splicing endonuclease complex (TSEN) are associated with pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH). Here the authors show that tRNA intron excision is catalyzed by tetrameric TSEN assembled from inactive heterodimers, and provide evidence that modulation of TSEN stability may contribute to PCH phenotypes.

Splicing Endonuclease Is an Important Player in rRNA and tRNA Maturation in Archaea

In all three domains of life, tRNA genes contain introns that must be removed to yield functional tRNA. In archaea and eukarya, the first step of this process is catalyzed by a splicing endonuclease. The consensus structure recognized by the splicing endonuclease is a bulge-helix-bulge (BHB) motif which is also found in rRNA precursors. So far, a systematic analysis to identify all biological substrates of the splicing endonuclease has not been carried out. In this study, we employed CRISPRi to repress expression of the splicing endonuclease in the archaeon Haloferax volcanii to identify all substrates of this enzyme. Expression of the splicing endonuclease was reduced to 1% of its normal level, resulting in a significant extension of lag phase in H. volcanii growth. In the repression strain, 41 genes were down-regulated and 102 were up-regulated. As an additional approach in identifying new substrates of the splicing endonuclease, we isolated and sequenced circular RNAs, which identified excised introns removed from tRNA and rRNA precursors as well as from the 5' UTR of the gene HVO_1309. In vitro processing assays showed that the BHB sites in the 5' UTR of HVO_1309 and in a 16S rRNA-like precursor are processed by the recombinant splicing endonuclease. The splicing endonuclease is therefore an important player in RNA maturation in archaea.

Structure and mechanism of the Red recombination system of bacteriophage λ

While much of this volume focuses on mammalian DNA repair systems that are directly involved in genome stability and cancer, it is important to still be mindful of model systems from prokaryotes. Herein we review the Red recombination system of bacteriophage λ, which consists of an exonuclease for resecting dsDNA ends, and a single-strand annealing protein (SSAP) for binding the resulting 3'-overhang and annealing it to a complementary strand. The genetics and biochemistry of Red have been studied for over 50 years, in work that has laid much of the foundation for understanding DNA recombination in higher eukaryotes. In fact, the Red exonuclease (λ exo) is homologous to Dna2, a nuclease involved in DNA end-resection in eukaryotes, and the Red annealing protein (Redβ) is homologous to Rad52, the primary SSAP in eukaryotes. While eukaryotic recombination involves an elaborate network of proteins that is still being unraveled, the phage systems are comparatively simple and streamlined, yet still encompass the fundamental features of recombination, namely DNA end-resection, homologous pairing (annealing), and a coupling between them. Moreover, the Red system has been exploited in powerful methods for bacterial genome engineering that are important for functional genomics and systems biology. However, several mechanistic aspects of Red, particularly the action of the annealing protein, remain poorly understood. This review will focus on the proteins of the Red recombination system, with particular attention to structural and mechanistic aspects, and how the lessons learned can be applied to eukaryotic systems.

Recent Insights Into the Structure, Function, and Evolution of the RNA-Splicing Endonucleases

RNA-splicing endonuclease (EndA) cleaves out introns from archaeal and eukaryotic precursor (pre)-tRNA and is essential for tRNA maturation. In archaeal EndA, the molecular mechanisms underlying complex assembly, substrate recognition, and catalysis have been well understood. Recently, certain studies have reported novel findings including the identification of new subunit types in archaeal EndA structures, providing insights into the mechanism underlying broad substrate specificity. Further, metagenomics analyses have enabled the acquisition of numerous DNA sequences of EndAs and intron-containing pre-tRNAs from various species, providing information regarding the co-evolution of substrate specificity of archaeal EndAs and tRNA genetic diversity, and the evolutionary pathway of archaeal and eukaryotic EndAs. Although the complex structure of the heterothermic form of eukaryotic EndAs is unknown, previous reports regarding their functions indicated that mutations in human EndA cause neurological disorders including pontocerebellar hypoplasia and progressive microcephaly, and yeast EndA significantly cleaves mitochondria-localized mRNA encoding cytochrome b mRNA processing 1 (Cpb1) for mRNA maturation. This mini-review summarizes the aforementioned results, discusses their implications, and offers my personal opinion regarding future directions for the analysis of the structure and function of EndAs.

Insights into RNA-processing pathways and associated RNA-degrading enzymes in Archaea

RNA-processing pathways are at the centre of regulation of gene expression. All RNA transcripts undergo multiple maturation steps in addition to covalent chemical modifications to become functional in the cell. This includes destroying unnecessary or defective cellular RNAs. In Archaea, information on mechanisms by which RNA species reach their mature forms and associated RNA-modifying enzymes are still fragmentary. To date, most archaeal actors and pathways have been proposed in light of information gathered from Bacteria and Eukarya. In this context, this review provides a state of the art overview of archaeal endoribonucleases and exoribonucleases that cleave and trim RNA species and also of the key small archaeal proteins that bind RNAs. Furthermore, synthetic up-to-date views of processing and biogenesis pathways of archaeal transfer and ribosomal RNAs as well as of maturation of stable small non-coding RNAs such as CRISPR RNAs, small C/D and H/ACA box guide RNAs, and other emerging classes of small RNAs are described. Finally, prospective post-transcriptional mechanisms to control archaeal messenger RNA quality and quantity are discussed.

NanoRNase from Aeropyrum pernix shows nuclease activity on ssDNA and ssRNA

In cells, degrading DNA and RNA by various nucleases is very important. These processes are strictly controlled and regulated to maintain DNA integrity and to mature or recycle various RNAs. NanoRNase (Nrn) is a 3'-exonuclease that specifically degrades nanoRNAs shorter than 5 nucleotides. Several Nrns have been identified and characterized in bacteria, mainly in Firmicutes. Archaea often grow in extreme environments and might be subjected to more damage to DNA/RNA, so DNA repair and recycling of damaged RNA are very important in archaea. There is no report on the identification and characterization of Nrn in archaea. Aeropyrum pernix encodes three potential Nrns: NrnA (Ape1437), NrnB (Ape0124), and an Nrn-like protein Ape2190. Biochemical characterization showed that only Ape0124 could degrade ssDNA and ssRNA from the 3'-end in the presence of Mn²⁺. Interestingly, unlike bacterial Nrns, Ape0124 prefers ssDNA, including short nanoDNA, and degrades nanoRNA with lower efficiency. The 3'-DNA backbone was found to be required for efficiently hydrolyzing the phosphodiester bonds. In addition, Ape0124 also degrads the 3'-overhang of double-stranded DNA. Interestingly, Ape0124 could hydrolyze pAp into AMP, which is a feature of bacterial NrnA, not NrnB. Our results indicate that Ape0124 is a novel Nrn with a combined substrate profile of bacterial NrnA and NrnB.

Structure of Schlafen13 reveals a new class of tRNA/rRNA- targeting RNase engaged in translational control

Cleavage of transfer (t)RNA and ribosomal (r)RNA are critical and conserved steps of translational control for cells to overcome varied environmental stresses. However, enzymes that are responsible for this event have not been fully identified in high eukaryotes. Here, we report a mammalian tRNA/rRNA-targeting endoribonuclease: SLFN13, a member of the Schlafen family. Structural study reveals a unique pseudo-dimeric U-pillow-shaped architecture of the SLFN13 N'-domain that may clamp base-paired RNAs. SLFN13 is able to digest tRNAs and rRNAs in vitro, and the endonucleolytic cleavage dissevers 11 nucleotides from the 3'-terminus of tRNA at the acceptor stem. The cytoplasmically localised SLFN13 inhibits protein synthesis in 293T cells. Moreover, SLFN13 restricts HIV replication in a nucleolytic activity-dependent manner. According to these observations, we term SLFN13 RNase S13. Our study provides insights into the modulation of translational machinery in high eukaryotes, and sheds light on the functional mechanisms of the Schlafen family.

The RNA-splicing endonuclease from the euryarchaeaon Methanopyrus kandleri is a heterotetramer with constrained substrate specificity

Four different types (α4, α'2, (αβ)2 and ϵ2) of RNA-splicing endonucleases (EndAs) for RNA processing are known to exist in the Archaea. Only the (αβ)2 and ϵ2 types can cleave non-canonical introns in precursor (pre)-tRNA. Both enzyme types possess an insert associated with a specific loop, allowing broad substrate specificity in the catalytic α units. Here, the hyperthermophilic euryarchaeon Methanopyrus kandleri (MKA) was predicted to harbor an (αβ)2-type EndA lacking the specific loop. To characterize MKA EndA enzymatic activity, we constructed a fusion protein derived from MKA α and β subunits (fMKA EndA). In vitro assessment demonstrated complete removal of the canonical bulge-helix-bulge (BHB) intron structure from MKA pre-tRNAAsn. However, removal of the relaxed BHB structure in MKA pre-tRNAGlu was inefficient compared to crenarchaeal (αβ)2 EndA, and the ability to process the relaxed intron within mini-helix RNA was not detected. fMKA EndA X-ray structure revealed a shape similar to that of other EndA types, with no specific loop. Mapping of EndA types and their specific loops and the tRNA gene diversity among various Archaea suggest that MKA EndA is evolutionarily related to other (αβ)2-type EndAs found in the Thaumarchaeota, Crenarchaeota and Aigarchaeota but uniquely represents constrained substrate specificity.

The CDI toxin of Yersinia kristensenii is a novel bacterial member of the RNase A superfamily

Contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) is an important mechanism of inter-bacterial competition found in many Gram-negative pathogens. CDI⁺ cells express cell-surface CdiA proteins that bind neighboring bacteria and deliver C-terminal toxin domains (CdiA-CT) to inhibit target-cell growth. CDI⁺ bacteria also produce CdiI immunity proteins, which specifically neutralize cognate CdiA-CT toxins to prevent self-inhibition. Here, we present the crystal structure of the CdiA-CT/CdiI^Ykris complex from Yersinia kristensenii ATCC 33638. CdiA-CT^Ykris adopts the same fold as angiogenin and other RNase A paralogs, but the toxin does not share sequence similarity with these nucleases and lacks the characteristic disulfide bonds of the superfamily. Consistent with the structural homology, CdiA-CT^Ykris has potent RNase activity in vitro and in vivo. Structure-guided mutagenesis reveals that His175, Arg186, Thr276 and Tyr278 contribute to CdiA-CT^Ykris activity, suggesting that these residues participate in substrate binding and/or catalysis. CdiI^Ykris binds directly over the putative active site and likely neutralizes toxicity by blocking access to RNA substrates. Significantly, CdiA-CT^Ykris is the first non-vertebrate protein found to possess the RNase A superfamily fold, and homologs of this toxin are associated with secretion systems in many Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. These observations suggest that RNase A-like toxins are commonly deployed in inter-bacterial competition.

Autosomal-Recessive Mutations in the tRNA Splicing Endonuclease Subunit TSEN15 Cause Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia and Progressive Microcephaly

The tRNA splicing endonuclease is a highly evolutionarily conserved protein complex, involved in the cleavage of intron-containing tRNAs. In human it consists of the catalytic subunits TSEN2 and TSEN34, as well as the non-catalytic TSEN54 and TSEN15. Recessive mutations in the corresponding genes of the first three are known to cause pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH) types 2A-C, 4, and 5. Here, we report three homozygous TSEN15 variants that cause a milder version of PCH2. The affected individuals showed progressive microcephaly, delayed developmental milestones, intellectual disability, and, in two out of four cases, epilepsy. None, however, displayed the central visual failure seen in PCH case subjects where other subunits of the TSEN are mutated, and only one was affected by the extensive motor defects that are typical in other forms of PCH2. The three amino acid substitutions impacted the protein level of TSEN15 and the stoichiometry of the interacting subunits in different ways, but all resulted in an almost complete loss of in vitro tRNA cleavage activity. Taken together, our results demonstrate that mutations in any known subunit of the TSEN complex can cause PCH and progressive microcephaly, emphasizing the importance of its function during brain development.

The distribution, diversity, and importance of 16S rRNA gene introns in the order Thermoproteales

Background

Intron sequences are common in 16S rRNA genes of specific thermophilic lineages of Archaea, specifically the Thermoproteales (phylum Crenarchaeota). Environmental sequencing (16S rRNA gene and metagenome) from geothermal habitats in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has expanded the available datasets for investigating 16S rRNA gene introns. The objectives of this study were to characterize and curate archaeal 16S rRNA gene introns from high-temperature habitats, evaluate the conservation and distribution of archaeal 16S rRNA introns in geothermal systems, and determine which “universal” archaeal 16S rRNA gene primers are impacted by the presence of intron sequences.

Results

Several new introns were identified and their insertion loci were constrained to thirteen locations across the 16S rRNA gene. Many of these introns encode homing endonucleases, although some introns were short or partial sequences. Pyrobaculum, Thermoproteus, and Caldivirga 16S rRNA genes contained the most abundant and diverse intron sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of introns revealed that sequences within the same locus are distributed biogeographically. The most diverse set of introns were observed in a high-temperature, circumneutral (pH 6) sulfur sediment environment, which also contained the greatest diversity of different Thermoproteales phylotypes.

Conclusions

The widespread presence of introns in the Thermoproteales indicates a high probability of misalignments using different “universal” 16S rRNA primers employed in environmental microbial community analysis.

Reviewers

This article was reviewed by Dr. Eugene Koonin and Dr. W. Ford Doolittle.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13062-015-0065-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Biogenesis pathways of RNA guides in archaeal and bacterial CRISPR-Cas adaptive immunity

CRISPR-Cas is an RNA-mediated adaptive immune system that defends bacteria and archaea against mobile genetic elements. Short mature CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) are key elements in the interference step of the immune pathway. A CRISPR array composed of a series of repeats interspaced by spacer sequences acquired from invading mobile genomes is transcribed as a precursor crRNA (pre-crRNA) molecule. This pre-crRNA undergoes one or two maturation steps to generate the mature crRNAs that guide CRISPR-associated (Cas) protein(s) to cognate invading genomes for their destruction. Different types of CRISPR-Cas systems have evolved distinct crRNA biogenesis pathways that implicate highly sophisticated processing mechanisms. In Types I and III CRISPR-Cas systems, a specific endoribonuclease of the Cas6 family, either standalone or in a complex with other Cas proteins, cleaves the pre-crRNA within the repeat regions. In Type II systems, the trans-acting small RNA (tracrRNA) base pairs with each repeat of the pre-crRNA to form a dual-RNA that is cleaved by the housekeeping RNase III in the presence of the protein Cas9. In this review, we present a detailed comparative analysis of pre-crRNA recognition and cleavage mechanisms involved in the biogenesis of guide crRNAs in the three CRISPR-Cas types.

This review presents a detailed comparative analysis of pre-crRNA recognition and cleavage mechanisms involved in the biogenesis of guide crRNAs in the different bacterial and archaeal CRISPR-Cas immune systems.

Cutting, dicing, healing and sealing: the molecular surgery of tRNA

All organisms encode transfer RNAs (tRNAs) that are synthesized as precursor molecules bearing extra sequences at their 5' and 3' ends; some tRNAs also contain introns, which are removed by splicing. Despite commonality in what the ultimate goal is (i.e., producing a mature tRNA), mechanistically, tRNA splicing differs between Bacteria and Archaea or Eukarya. The number and position of tRNA introns varies between organisms and even between different tRNAs within the same organism, suggesting a degree of plasticity in both the evolution and persistence of modern tRNA splicing systems. Here we will review recent findings that not only highlight nuances in splicing pathways but also provide potential reasons for the maintenance of introns in tRNA. Recently, connections between defects in the components of the tRNA splicing machinery and medically relevant phenotypes in humans have been reported. These differences will be discussed in terms of the importance of splicing for tRNA function and in a broader context on how tRNA splicing defects can often have unpredictable consequences.

Handling tRNA introns, archaeal way and eukaryotic way

Introns are found in various tRNA genes in all the three kingdoms of life. Especially, archaeal and eukaryotic genomes are good sources of tRNA introns that are removed by proteinaceous splicing machinery. Most intron-containing tRNA genes both in archaea and eukaryotes possess an intron at a so-called canonical position, one nucleotide 3′ to their anticodon, while recent bioinformatics have revealed unusual types of tRNA introns and their derivatives especially in archaeal genomes. Gain and loss of tRNA introns during various stages of evolution are obvious both in archaea and eukaryotes from analyses of comparative genomics. The splicing of tRNA molecules has been studied extensively from biochemical and cell biological points of view, and such analyses of eukaryotic systems provided interesting findings in the past years. Here, I summarize recent progresses in the analyses of tRNA introns and the splicing process, and try to clarify new and old questions to be solved in the next stages.

tRNA gene diversity in the three domains of life

Transfer RNA (tRNA) is widely known for its key role in decoding mRNA into protein. Despite their necessity and relatively short nucleotide sequences, a large diversity of gene structures and RNA secondary structures of pre-tRNAs and mature tRNAs have recently been discovered in the three domains of life. Growing evidences of disrupted tRNA genes in the genomes of Archaea reveals unique gene structures such as, intron-containing tRNA, split tRNA, and permuted tRNA. Coding sequence for these tRNAs are either separated with introns, fragmented, or permuted at the genome level. Although evolutionary scenario behind the tRNA gene disruption is still unclear, diversity of tRNA structure seems to be co-evolved with their processing enzyme, so-called RNA splicing endonuclease. Metazoan mitochondrial tRNAs (mtRNAs) are known for their unique lack of either one or two arms from the typical tRNA cloverleaf structure, while still maintaining functionality. Recently identified nematode-specific V-arm containing tRNAs (nev-tRNAs) possess long variable arms that are specific to eukaryotic class II tRNA^Ser and tRNA^Leu but also decode class I tRNA codons. Moreover, many tRNA-like sequences have been found in the genomes of different organisms and viruses. Thus, this review is aimed to cover the latest knowledge on tRNA gene diversity and further recapitulate the evolutionary and biological aspects that caused such uniqueness.

Novel mutations in TSEN54 in pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 2

Pontocerebellar hypoplasias represent a group of neurodegenerative autosomal recessive disorders characterized by hypoplasia/atrophy of the cerebellum, hypoplastic ventral pons, and microcephaly and associated with various clinical features. Pontocerebellar hypolasia type 2 is the most common form, and different mutations in genes encoding subunits of the transfer ribonucleic acid (RNA)-splicing endonuclease (TSEN) complex were identified in patients. The authors report clinical, imaging, and molecular studies in 2 unrelated patients with different clinical pictures of the pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 2 spectrum and novel mutations in TSEN54, aiming to further define the clinical spectrum of the disease and possible indicators of more favorable progression. They identified a novel missense mutation c.355T>G/p.Y119D in compound heterozygosity with the "common" c.919G>T/p.A307S (patient 1) and a novel homozygous c.7ins6(CCGGAG)/p.E2-P3insPE variant (patient 2). An expanded array of mutations might contribute in defining possible differences in severity and phenotype-genotype correlations.

Comparative analysis ofCas6b processing and CRISPR RNA stability

The prokaryotic antiviral defense systems CRISP R (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas (CRISP Rassociated) employs short crRNAs (CRISP R RNAs) to target invading viral nucleic acids. A short spacer sequence of these crRNAs can be derived from a viral genome and recognizes a reoccurring attack of a virus via base complementarity. We analyzed the effect of spacer sequences on the maturation of crRNAs of the subtype I-B Methanococcus maripaludis C5 CRISP R cluster. The responsible endonuclease, termed Cas6b, bound non-hydrolyzable repeat RNA as a dimer and mature crRNA as a monomer. Comparative analysis of Cas6b processing of individual spacer-repeat-spacer RNA substrates and crRNA stability revealed the potential influence of spacer sequence and length on these parameters. Correlation of these observations with the variable abundance of crRNAs visualized by deep-sequencing analyses is discussed. Finally, insertion of spacer and repeat sequences with archaeal poly-T termination signals is suggested to be prevented in archaeal CRISP R/Cas systems.

Highly efficient, in vivo optimized, archaeal endonuclease for controlled RNA splicing in mammalian cells

ARCHAEA-ExPRESs is an mRNA modification technology that makes use of components derived from the Archaeon Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, namely the tRNA splicing endonuclease (MJ-EndA) and its natural substrate, the bulge-helix-bulge (BHB) structure (1). These components can perform both cis- and trans-splicing in cellular and animal models and may provide a convenient way to modulate gene expression using components independent of cellular regulatory networks. To use MJ-EndA in stable expression mammalian systems, we developed variants characterized by high efficiency and sustainable in vivo activity. The MJ-EndA variants were created by the introduction of proper localization signals followed by mutagenesis and direct selection in mammalian cells. Of note, enzyme selection used an in vivo selection method based on puromycin resistance conferred to cells by BHB-mediated intron splicing from an out-of-frame puromycin N-acetyl transferase (PAC) gene. This approach yielded several endonuclease variants, the best of which showed 40-fold higher activity compared to the parental enzyme and stable processing of 30% of the target mRNA. Notably, these variants showed complete compatibility with long-term expression in mammalian cells, suggesting that they may be usefully applied in functional genomics and genetically modified animal models.

Sequence, structure and functional diversity of PD-(D/E)XK phosphodiesterase superfamily

Proteins belonging to PD-(D/E)XK phosphodiesterases constitute a functionally diverse superfamily with representatives involved in replication, restriction, DNA repair and tRNA-intron splicing. Their malfunction in humans triggers severe diseases, such as Fanconi anemia and Xeroderma pigmentosum. To date there have been several attempts to identify and classify new PD-(D/E)KK phosphodiesterases using remote homology detection methods. Such efforts are complicated, because the superfamily exhibits extreme sequence and structural divergence. Using advanced homology detection methods supported with superfamily-wide domain architecture and horizontal gene transfer analyses, we provide a comprehensive reclassification of proteins containing a PD-(D/E)XK domain. The PD-(D/E)XK phosphodiesterases span over 21,900 proteins, which can be classified into 121 groups of various families. Eleven of them, including DUF4420, DUF3883, DUF4263, COG5482, COG1395, Tsp45I, HaeII, Eco47II, ScaI, HpaII and Replic_Relax, are newly assigned to the PD-(D/E)XK superfamily. Some groups of PD-(D/E)XK proteins are present in all domains of life, whereas others occur within small numbers of organisms. We observed multiple horizontal gene transfers even between human pathogenic bacteria or from Prokaryota to Eukaryota. Uncommon domain arrangements greatly elaborate the PD-(D/E)XK world. These include domain architectures suggesting regulatory roles in Eukaryotes, like stress sensing and cell-cycle regulation. Our results may inspire further experimental studies aimed at identification of exact biological functions, specific substrates and molecular mechanisms of reactions performed by these highly diverse proteins.

Diversity and roles of (t)RNA ligases

The discovery of discontiguous tRNA genes triggered studies dissecting the process of tRNA splicing. As a result, we have gained detailed mechanistic knowledge on enzymatic removal of tRNA introns catalyzed by endonuclease and ligase proteins. In addition to the elucidation of tRNA processing, these studies facilitated the discovery of additional functions of RNA ligases such as RNA repair and non-conventional mRNA splicing events. Recently, the identification of a new type of RNA ligases in bacteria, archaea, and humans closed a long-standing gap in the field of tRNA processing. This review summarizes past and recent findings in the field of tRNA splicing with a focus on RNA ligation as it preferentially occurs in archaea and humans. In addition to providing an integrated view of the types and phyletic distribution of RNA ligase proteins known to date, this survey also aims at highlighting known and potential accessory biological functions of RNA ligases.

Structural comparison of tRNA m(1)A58 methyltransferases revealed different molecular strategies to maintain their oligomeric architecture under extreme conditions

Background

tRNA m¹A58 methyltransferases (TrmI) catalyze the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to nitrogen 1 of adenine 58 in the T-loop of tRNAs from all three domains of life. The m¹A58 modification has been shown to be essential for cell growth in yeast and for adaptation to high temperatures in thermophilic organisms. These enzymes were shown to be active as tetramers. The crystal structures of five TrmIs from hyperthermophilic archaea and thermophilic or mesophilic bacteria have previously been determined, the optimal growth temperature of these organisms ranging from 37°C to 100°C. All TrmIs are assembled as tetramers formed by dimers of tightly assembled dimers.

Results

In this study, we present a comparative structural analysis of these TrmIs, which highlights factors that allow them to function over a large range of temperature. The monomers of the five enzymes are structurally highly similar, but the inter-monomer contacts differ strongly. Our analysis shows that bacterial enzymes from thermophilic organisms display additional intermolecular ionic interactions across the dimer interfaces, whereas hyperthermophilic enzymes present additional hydrophobic contacts. Moreover, as an alternative to two bidentate ionic interactions that stabilize the tetrameric interface in all other TrmI proteins, the tetramer of the archaeal P. abyssi enzyme is strengthened by four intersubunit disulfide bridges.

Conclusions

The availability of crystal structures of TrmIs from mesophilic, thermophilic or hyperthermophilic organisms allows a detailed analysis of the architecture of this protein family. Our structural comparisons provide insight into the different molecular strategies used to achieve the tetrameric organization in order to maintain the enzyme activity under extreme conditions.

A novel three-unit tRNA splicing endonuclease found in ultrasmall Archaea possesses broad substrate specificity

tRNA splicing endonucleases, essential enzymes found in Archaea and Eukaryotes, are involved in the processing of pre-tRNA molecules. In Archaea, three types of splicing endonuclease [homotetrameric: α₄, homodimeric: α₂, and heterotetrameric: (αβ)₂] have been identified, each representing different substrate specificity during the tRNA intron cleavage. Here, we discovered a fourth type of archaeal tRNA splicing endonuclease (ε₂) in the genome of the acidophilic archaeon Candidatus Micrarchaeum acidiphilum, referred to as ARMAN-2 and its closely related species, ARMAN-1. The enzyme consists of two duplicated catalytic units and one structural unit encoded on a single gene, representing a novel three-unit architecture. Homodimeric formation was confirmed by cross-linking assay, and site-directed mutagenesis determined that the conserved L10-pocket interaction between catalytic and structural unit is necessary for the assembly. A tRNA splicing assay reveal that ε₂ endonuclease cleaves both canonical and non-canonical bulge–helix–bulge motifs, similar to that of (αβ)₂ endonuclease. Unlike other ARMAN and Euryarchaeota, tRNAs found in ARMAN-2 are highly disrupted by introns at various positions, which again resemble the properties of archaeal species with (αβ)₂ endonuclease. Thus, the discovery of ε₂ endonuclease in an archaeon deeply branched within Euryarchaeota represents a new example of the coevolution of tRNA and their processing enzymes.

Cleavage of intron from the standard or non-standard position of the precursor tRNA by the splicing endonuclease of Aeropyrum pernix, a hyper-thermophilic Crenarchaeon, involves a novel RNA recognition site in the Crenarchaea specific loop

In Crenarchaea, several tRNA genes are predicted to express precursor-tRNAs (pre-tRNAs) with canonical or non-canonical introns at various positions. We initially focused on the tRNA(Thr) species of hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon, Aeropyrum pernix (APE) and found that in the living APE cells three tRNA(Thr) species were transcribed and subsequently matured to functional tRNAs. During maturation, introns in two of them were cleaved from standard and non-standard positions. Biochemical studies revealed that the APE splicing endonuclease (APE-EndA) removed both types of introns, including the non-canonical introns, without any nucleotide modification. To clarify the underlying reasons for broad substrate specificity of APE-EndA, we determined the crystal structure of wild-type APE-EndA and subsequently compared its structure with that of Archaeaoglobus fulgidus (AFU)-EndA, which has narrow substrate specificity. Remarkably, structural comparison revealed that APE-EndA possesses a Crenarchaea specific loop (CSL). Introduction of CSL into AFU-EndA enhanced its intron-cleaving activity irrespective of the position or motif of the intron. Thus, our biochemical and crystallographic analyses of the chimera-EndA demonstrated that the CSL is responsible for the broad substrate specificity of APE-EndA. Furthermore, mutagenesis studies revealed that Lys44 in CSL functions as the RNA recognition site.

Discovery of permuted and recently split transfer RNAs in Archaea

Background

As in eukaryotes, precursor transfer RNAs in Archaea often contain introns that are removed in tRNA maturation. Two unrelated archaeal species display unique pre-tRNA processing complexity in the form of split tRNA genes, in which two to three segments of tRNAs are transcribed from different loci, then trans-spliced to form a mature tRNA. Another rare type of pre-tRNA, found only in eukaryotic algae, is permuted, where the 3' half is encoded upstream of the 5' half, and must be processed to be functional.

Results

Using an improved version of the gene-finding program tRNAscan-SE, comparative analyses and experimental verifications, we have now identified four novel trans-spliced tRNA genes, each in a different species of the Desulfurococcales branch of the Archaea: tRNA^Asp(GUC) in Aeropyrum pernix and Thermosphaera aggregans, and tRNA^Lys(CUU) in Staphylothermus hellenicus and Staphylothermus marinus. Each of these includes features surprisingly similar to previously studied split tRNAs, yet comparative genomic context analysis and phylogenetic distribution suggest several independent, relatively recent splitting events. Additionally, we identified the first examples of permuted tRNA genes in Archaea: tRNA^iMet(CAU) and tRNA^Tyr(GUA) in Thermofilum pendens, which appear to be permuted in the same arrangement seen previously in red alga.

Conclusions

Our findings illustrate that split tRNAs are sporadically spread across a major branch of the Archaea, and that permuted tRNAs are a new shared characteristic between archaeal and eukaryotic species. The split tRNA discoveries also provide new clues to their evolutionary history, supporting hypotheses for recent acquisition via viral or other mobile elements.

A conserved lysine residue in the crenarchaea-specific loop is important for the crenarchaeal splicing endonuclease activity

In Archaea, splicing endonuclease (EndA) recognizes and cleaves precursor RNAs to remove introns. Currently, EndAs are classified into three families according to their subunit structures: homotetramer, homodimer, and heterotetramer. The crenarchaeal heterotetrameric EndAs can be further classified into two subfamilies based on the size of the structural subunit. Subfamily A possesses a structural subunit similar in size to the catalytic subunit, whereas subfamily B possesses a structural subunit significantly smaller than the catalytic subunit. Previously, we solved the crystal structure of an EndA from Pyrobaculum aerophilum. The endonuclease was classified into subfamily B, and the structure revealed that the enzyme lacks an N-terminal subdomain in the structural subunit. However, no structural information is available for crenarchaeal heterotetrameric EndAs that are predicted to belong to subfamily A. Here, we report the crystal structure of the EndA from Aeropyrum pernix, which is predicted to belong to subfamily A. The enzyme possesses the N-terminal subdomain in the structural subunit, revealing that the two subfamilies of heterotetrameric EndAs are structurally distinct. EndA from A. pernix also possesses an extra loop region that is characteristic of crenarchaeal EndAs. Our mutational study revealed that the conserved lysine residue in the loop is important for endonuclease activity. Furthermore, the sequence characteristics of the loops and the positions towards the substrate RNA according to a docking model prompted us to propose that crenarchaea-specific loops and an extra amino acid sequence at the catalytic loop of nanoarchaeal EndA are derived by independent convergent evolution and function for recognizing noncanonical bulge-helix-bulge motif RNAs as substrates.

Large-scale tRNA intron transposition in the archaeal order Thermoproteales represents a novel mechanism of intron gain

Recently, diverse arrangements of transfer RNA (tRNA) genes have been found in the domain Archaea, in which the tRNA is interrupted by a maximum of three introns or is even fragmented into two or three genes. Whereas most of the eukaryotic tRNA introns are inserted strictly at the canonical nucleotide position (37/38), archaeal intron-containing tRNAs have a wide diversity of small tRNA introns, which differ in their numbers and locations. This feature is especially pronounced in the archaeal order Thermoproteales. In this study, we performed a comprehensive sequence comparison of 286 tRNA introns and their genes in seven Thermoproteales species to clarify how these introns have emerged and diversified during tRNA gene evolution. We identified 46 intron groups containing sets of highly similar sequences (>70%) and showed that 16 of them contain sequences from evolutionarily distinct tRNA genes. The phylogeny of these 16 intron groups indicates that transposition events have occurred at least seven times throughout the evolution of Thermoproteales. These findings suggest that frequent intron transposition occurs among the tRNA genes of Thermoproteales. Further computational analysis revealed limited insertion positions and corresponding amino acid types of tRNA genes. This has arisen because the bulge-helix-bulge splicing motif is required at the newly transposed position if the pre-tRNA is to be correctly processed. These results clearly demonstrate a newly identified mechanism that facilitates the late gain of short introns at various noncanonical positions in archaeal tRNAs.

Euryarchaeal beta-CASP proteins with homology to bacterial RNase J Have 5'- to 3'-exoribonuclease activity

In the Archaea only a handful of ribonucleases involved in RNA processing and degradation have been characterized. One potential group of archaeal ribonucleases are homologues of the bacterial RNase J family, which have a beta-CASP metallo-beta-lactamase fold. Here we show that beta-CASP proteins encoded in the genomes of the hyperthermophilic Euryarchaeota Pyrococcus abyssi and Thermococcus kodakaraensis are processive exoribonucleases with a 5' end dependence and a 5' to 3' directionality. We named these enzymes Pab-RNase J and Tk-RNase J, respectively. RNAs with 5'-monophosphate or 5'-hydroxyl ends are preferred substrates of Pab-RNase J, whereas circularized RNA is resistant to Pab-RNase J activity. Degradation of a 3' end-labeled synthetic RNA in which an internal nucleoside is substituted by three ethylene glycol units generates intermediates demonstrating 5' to 3' directionality. The substitution of conserved residues in Pab-RNase J predicted to be involved in the coordination of metal ions demonstrates their importance for ribonuclease activity, although the detailed geometry of the catalytic site is likely to differ from bacterial RNase J. This is the first identification of a 5'-exoribonuclease encoded in the genomes of the Archaea. Phylogenetic analysis shows that euryarchaeal RNase J has been inherited vertically, suggesting an ancient origin predating the separation of the Bacteria and the Archaea.

Transfer RNA processing in archaea: unusual pathways and enzymes

Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules are highly conserved in length, sequence and structure in order to be functional in the ribosome. However, mostly in archaea, the short genes encoding tRNAs can be found disrupted, fragmented, with permutations or with non-functional mutations of conserved nucleotides. Here, we give an overview of recently discovered tRNA maturation pathways that require intricate processing steps to finally generate the standard tRNA from these unusual tRNA genes.

Disrupted tRNA gene diversity and possible evolutionary scenarios

The following unusual tRNAs have recently been discovered in the genomes of Archaea and primitive Eukaryota: multiple-intron-containing tRNAs, which have more than one intron; split tRNAs, which are produced from two pieces of RNA transcribed from separate genes; tri-split tRNAs, which are produced from three separate genes; and permuted tRNA, in which the 5' and 3' halves are encoded with permuted orientations within a single gene. All these disrupted tRNA genes can form mature contiguous tRNA, which is aminoacylated after processing by cis or trans splicing. The discovery of such tRNA disruptions has raised the question of when and why these complex tRNA processing pathways emerged during the evolution of life. Many previous reports have noted that tRNA genes contain a single intron in the anticodon loop region, a feature common throughout all three domains of life, suggesting an ancient trait of the last universal common ancestor. In this context, these unique tRNA disruptions recently found only in Archaea and primitive Eukaryota provide new insight into the origin and evolution of tRNA genes, encouraging further research in this field. In this paper, we summarize the phylogeny, structure, and processing machinery of all known types of disrupted tRNAs and discuss possible evolutionary scenarios for these tRNA genes.

The fragment structure of a putative HsdR subunit of a type I restriction enzyme from Vibrio vulnificus YJ016: implications for DNA restriction and translocation activity

Among four types of bacterial restriction enzymes that cleave a foreign DNA depending on its methylation status, type I enzymes composed of three subunits are interesting because of their unique DNA cleavage and translocation mechanisms performed by the restriction subunit (HsdR). The elucidated N-terminal fragment structure of a putative HsdR subunit from Vibrio vulnificus YJ016 reveals three globular domains. The nucleolytic core within an N-terminal nuclease domain (NTD) is composed of one basic and three acidic residues, which include a metal-binding site. An ATP hydrolase (ATPase) site at the interface of two RecA-like domains (RDs) is located close to the probable DNA-binding site for translocation, which is far from the NTD nucleolytic core. Comparison of relative domain arrangements with other functionally related ATP and/or DNA complex structures suggests a possible translocation and restriction mechanism of the HsdR subunit. Furthermore, careful analysis of its sequence and structure implies that a linker helix connecting two RDs and an extended region within the nuclease domain may play a central role in switching the DNA translocation into the restriction activity.

Crystal structure and assembly of the functional Nanoarchaeum equitans tRNA splicing endonuclease

The RNA splicing and processing endonuclease from Nanoarchaeum equitans (NEQ) belongs to the recently identified (αβ)₂ family of splicing endonucleases that require two different subunits for splicing activity. N. equitans splicing endonuclease comprises the catalytic subunit (NEQ205) and the structural subunit (NEQ261). Here, we report the crystal structure of the functional NEQ enzyme at 2.1 Å containing both subunits, as well as that of the NEQ261 subunit alone at 2.2 Å. The functional enzyme resembles previously known α₂ and α₄ endonucleases but forms a heterotetramer: a dimer of two heterodimers of the catalytic subunit (NEQ205) and the structural subunit (NEQ261). Surprisingly, NEQ261 alone forms a homodimer, similar to the previously known homodimer of the catalytic subunit. The homodimers of isolated subunits are inhibitory to heterodimerization as illustrated by a covalently linked catalytic homodimer that had no RNA cleavage activity upon mixing with the structural subunit. Detailed structural comparison reveals a more favorable hetero- than homodimerization interface, thereby suggesting a possible regulation mechanism of enzyme assembly through available subunits. Finally, the uniquely flexible active site of the NEQ endonuclease provides a possible explanation for its broader substrate specificity.

Functional importance of crenarchaea-specific extra-loop revealed by an X-ray structure of a heterotetrameric crenarchaeal splicing endonuclease

Archaeal splicing endonucleases (EndAs) are currently classified into three groups. Two groups require a single subunit protein to form a homodimer or homotetramer. The third group requires two nonidentical protein components for the activity. To elucidate the molecular architecture of the two-subunit EndA system, we studied a crenarchaeal splicing endonuclease from Pyrobaculum aerophilum. In the present study, we solved a crystal structure of the enzyme at 1.7-Å resolution. The enzyme adopts a heterotetrameric form composed of two catalytic and two structural subunits. By connecting the structural and the catalytic subunits of the heterotetrameric EndA, we could convert the enzyme to a homodimer that maintains the broad substrate specificity that is one of the characteristics of heterotetrameric EndA. Meanwhile, a deletion of six amino acids in a Crenarchaea-specific loop abolished the endonuclease activity even on a substrate with canonical BHB motif. These results indicate that the subunit architecture is not a major factor responsible for the difference of substrate specificity between single- and two-subunit EndA systems. Rather, the structural basis for the broad substrate specificity is built into the crenarchaeal splicing endonuclease itself.

Comprehensive analysis of archaeal tRNA genes reveals rapid increase of tRNA introns in the order thermoproteales

The analysis of archaeal tRNA genes is becoming more important to evaluate the origin and evolution of tRNA molecule. Even with the recent accumulation of complete genomes of numerous archaeal species, several tRNA genes are still required for a full complement of the codon table. We conducted comprehensive screening of tRNA genes from 47 archaeal genomes by using a combination of different types of tRNA prediction programs and extracted a total of 2,143 reliable tRNA gene candidates including 437 intron-containing tRNA genes, which covered more than 99.9% of the codon tables in Archaea. Previously, the content of intron-containing tRNA genes in Archaea was estimated to be approximately 15% of the whole tRNA genes, and most of the introns were known to be located at canonical positions (nucleotide position between 37 and 38) of precursor tRNA (pre-tRNA). Surprisingly, we observed marked enrichment of tRNA introns in five species of the archaeal order Thermoproteales; about 70% of tRNA gene candidates were found to be intron-containing tRNA genes, half of which contained multiple introns, and the introns were located at various noncanonical positions. Sequence similarity analysis revealed that approximately half of the tRNA introns found at Thermoproteales-specific intron locations were highly conserved among several tRNA genes. Intriguingly, identical tRNA intron sequences were found within different types of tRNA genes that completely lacked exon sequence similarity, suggesting that the tRNA introns in Thermoproteales could have been gained via intron insertion events at a later stage of tRNA evolution. Moreover, although the CCA sequence at the 3' terminal of pre-tRNA is added by a CCA-adding enzyme after gene transcription in Archaea, most of the tRNA genes containing highly conserved introns already encode the CCA sequence at their 3' terminal. Based on these results, we propose possible models explaining the rapid increase of tRNA introns as a result of intron insertion events via retrotransposition of pre-tRNAs. The sequences and secondary structures of the tRNA genes and their bulge-helix-bulge motifs were registered in SPLITSdb (http://splits.iab.keio.ac.jp/splitsdb/), a novel and comprehensive database for archaeal tRNA genes.

Human RNA 5'-kinase (hClp1) can function as a tRNA splicing enzyme in vivo

Yeast and human Clp1 proteins are homologous components of the mRNA 3'-cleavage-polyadenylation machinery. Recent studies highlighting an association of human Clp1 (hClp1) with tRNA splicing endonuclease and an intrinsic RNA-specific 5'-OH polynucleotide kinase activity of hClp1 have prompted speculation that Clp1 might play a catalytic role in tRNA splicing in animal cells. Here, we show that expression of hClp1 in budding yeast can complement conditional and lethal mutations in the essential 5'-OH RNA kinase module of yeast or plant tRNA ligases. The tRNA splicing activity of hClp1 in yeast is abolished by mutations in the kinase active site. In contrast, overexpression of yeast Clp1 (yClp1) cannot rescue kinase-defective tRNA ligase mutants, and, unlike hClp1, the purified recombinant yClp1 protein has no detectable RNA kinase activity in vitro. Mutations of the yClp1 ATP-binding site do not affect yeast viability. These findings, and the fact that hClp1 cannot complement growth of a yeast clp1Delta strain, indicate that yeast and human Clp1 proteins are not functional orthologs, despite their structural similarity. Although hClp1 can perform the 5'-end-healing step of a yeast-type tRNA splicing pathway in vivo, it is uncertain whether its kinase activity is necessary for tRNA splicing in human cells, given that other mammalian counterparts of yeast-type tRNA repair enzymes are nonessential in vivo.