Crystal Structure Analysis Reveals Functional Flexibility in the Selenocysteine-Specific tRNA from Mouse

Selenocysteine tRNAs (tRNA(Sec)) exhibit a number of unique identity elements that are recognized specifically by proteins of the selenocysteine biosynthetic pathways and decoding machineries. Presently, these identity elements and the mechanisms by which they are interpreted by tRNA(Sec)-interacting factors are incompletely understood.We applied rational mutagenesis to obtain well diffracting crystals of murine tRNA(Sec). tRNA(Sec) lacking the single-stranded 3'-acceptor end ((ΔGCCA)RNA(Sec)) yielded a crystal structure at 2.0 Å resolution. The global structure of (ΔGCCA)RNA(Sec) resembles the structure of human tRNA(Sec) determined at 3.1 Å resolution. Structural comparisons revealed flexible regions in tRNA(Sec) used for induced fit binding to selenophosphate synthetase. Water molecules located in the present structure were involved in the stabilization of two alternative conformations of the anticodon stem-loop. Modeling of a 2'-O-methylated ribose at position U34 of the anticodon loop as found in a sub-population of tRNA(Sec)in vivo showed how this modification favors an anticodon loop conformation that is functional during decoding on the ribosome. Soaking of crystals in Mn(2+)-containing buffer revealed eight potential divalent metal ion binding sites but the located metal ions did not significantly stabilize specific structural features of tRNA(Sec).We provide the most highly resolved structure of a tRNA(Sec) molecule to date and assessed the influence of water molecules and metal ions on the molecule's conformation and dynamics. Our results suggest how conformational changes of tRNA(Sec) support its interaction with proteins

RNA helicase module in an acetyltransferase that modifies a specific tRNA anticodon

Post-transcriptional RNA modifications in the anticodon of transfer RNAs frequently contribute to the high fidelity of protein synthesis. In eubacteria, two genome-encoded transfer RNA (tRNA) species bear the same CAU sequence as the anticodons, which are differentiated by modified cytidines at the wobble positions. The elongator tRNAMet accepts an acetyl moiety at the wobble base to form N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C): an inherent modification ensures precise decoding of the AUG codon by strengthening C−G base-pair interaction and concurrently preventing misreading of the near cognate AUA codon. We have determined the crystal structure of tRNAMet cytidine acetyltransferase (TmcA) from Escherichia coli complexed with two natural ligands, acetyl-CoA and ADP, at 2.35 Å resolution. The structure unexpectedly reveals an idiosyncratic RNA helicase module fused with a GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) fold, which intimately cross-interact. Taken together with the biochemical evidence, we further unravelled the function of acetyl-CoA as an enzyme-activating switch, and propose that an RNA helicase motor driven by ATP hydrolysis is used to deliver the wobble base to the active centre of the GNAT domain