G1401: a keystone nucleotide at the decoding site of Escherichia coli 30S ribosomes

16S ribosomal RNA contains three highly conserved single-stranded regions. Centrally located in one of these regions is the C1400 residue. Zero-length cross-linking of this residue to the anticodon of ribosome-bound tRNA showed that it was at or near the ribosomal decoding site [Ehresmann, C., Ehresmann, B., Millon, R., Ebel, J-P., Nurse, K., & Ofengand, J. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 429-437]. To assess the functional significance of sequence conservation of rRNA in the vicinity of this functionally important site, a series of site-directed mutations in this region were constructed and the effects of these mutations on the partial reactions of protein synthesis determined. Mutation of C1400 or C1402 to any other base only moderately affected a set of in vitro protein synthesis partial reactions. However, any base change from the normal G1401 residue blocked all of the tested ribosomal functions. This was also true for the deletion of G1401. Deletion of C1400 or C1402 had more complex effects. Whereas subunit association was hardly affected, 30S initiation complex formation was blocked by deletion of C1400 but much less so by deletion of C1402. Alternatively, tRNA binding to the ribosomal A site was more strongly affected by deletion of C1402 than by deletion of C1400. P site binding was inhibited by either deletion. HPLC analysis of the in vitro reconstituted mutant ribosomes showed that none of the functional effects were due to the absence or gross reduction in amount of any ribosomal protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)