Functional idiosyncrasies of tRNA isoacceptors in cognate and noncognate aminoacylation systems

The specificity of transfer RNA aminoacylation by cognate aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase is a crucial step for synthesis of functional proteins. It is established that the aminoacylation identity of a single tRNA or of a family of tRNA isoacceptors is linked to the presence of positive signals (determinants) allowing recognition by cognate synthetases and negative signals (antideterminants) leading to rejection by the noncognate ones. The completion of identity sets was generally tested by transplantation of the corresponding nucleotides into one or several host tRNAs which acquire as a consequence the new aminoacylation specificities. Such transplantation experiments were also useful to detect peculiar structural refinements required for optimal expression of a given aminoacylation identity set within a host tRNA. This study explores expression of the defined yeast aspartate identity set into different tRNA scaffolds of a same specificity, namely the four yeast tRNA(Arg) isoacceptors. The goal was to investigate whether expression of the new identity is similar due to the unique specificity of the host tRNAs or whether it is differently expressed due to their peculiar sequences and structural features. In vitro transcribed native tRNA(Arg) isoacceptors and variants bearing the aspartate identity elements were prepared and their aminoacylation properties established. The four wild-type isoacceptors are active in arginylation with catalytic efficiencies in a 20-fold range and are inactive in aspartylation. While transplanted tRNA(1)(Arg) and tRNA(4)(Arg) are converted into highly efficient substrates for yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, transplanted tRNA(2)(Arg) and tRNA(3)(Arg) remain poorly aspartylated. Search for antideterminants in these two tRNAs reveals idiosyncratic features. Conversion of the single base-pair C6-G67 into G6-C67, the pair present in tRNA(Asp), allows full expression of the aspartate identity in the transplanted tRNA(2)(Arg), but not in tRNA(3)(Arg). It is concluded that the different isoacceptor tRNAs protect themselves from misaminoacylation by idiosyncratic pathways of antidetermination.