Open AccessThe unusual methanogenic seryl‐tRNA synthetase recognizes tRNA Ser species from all three kingdoms of life
Author(s) -
Bilokapic Silvija,
Korencic Dragana,
Söll Dieter,
WeygandDurasevic Ivana
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.2003.03971.x
Subject(s) - methanococcus , transfer rna , archaea , biochemistry , aminoacylation , chemistry , biology , gene , rna
The methanogenic archaea Methanococcus jannaschii and M. maripaludis contain an atypical seryl‐tRNA synthetase (SerRS), which recognizes eukaryotic and bacterial tRNAs Ser , in addition to the homologous tRNA Ser and tRNA Sec species. The relative flexibility in tRNA recognition displayed by methanogenic SerRSs, shown by aminoacylation and gel mobility shift assays, indicates the conservation of some serine determinants in all three domains. The complex of M. maripaludis SerRS with the homologues tRNA Ser was isolated by gel filtration chromatography. Complex formation strongly depends on the conformation of tRNA. Therefore, the renaturation conditions for in vitro transcribed isoacceptor were studied carefully. This tRNA, unlike many other tRNAs, is prone to dimerization, possibly due to several stretches of complementary oligonucleotides within its sequence. Dimerization is facilitated by increased tRNA concentration and can be diminished by fast renaturation in the presence of 5 m m magnesium chloride.