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Co-evolution of the archaeal tRNA-dependent amidotransferase GatCAB with tRNA(Asn)
Suk Namgoong1, Kelly Sheppard, R Lynn Sherrer
1Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 8114, USA.
Abstract:
The important identity elements in tRNA(Gln) and tRNA(Asn) for bacterial GatCAB and in tRNA(Gln) for archaeal GatDE are the D-loop and the first base pair of the acceptor stem. Here we show that Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus GatCAB, the archaeal enzyme, is different as it discriminates Asp-tRNA(Asp) and Asp-tRNA(Asn) by use of U49, the D-loop and to a lesser extent the variable loop. Since archaea possess the tRNA(Gln)-specific amidotransferase GatDE, the archaeal GatCAB enzyme evolved to recognize different elements in tRNA(Asn) than those recognized by GatDE or by the bacterial GatCAB enzyme in their tRNA substrates.
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