Elongator function in tRNA wobble uridine modification is conserved between yeast and plants
Constance Mehlgarten1, Daniel Jablonowski, Uta Wrackmeyer
1Institut für Biologie, Genetik, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
Molecular Microbiology
|April 20, 2010
Summary
The Elongator complex in plants and yeast is crucial for tRNA modification. Arabidopsis Elongator subunits show structural conservation but functional incompatibility, highlighting conserved tRNA modification roles across eukaryotes.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The Elongator complex is involved in diverse cellular functions including tRNA modification.
- Studies in yeast and mammalian cells suggest broad roles for Elongator.
- Arabidopsis Elongator subunits have been identified but their functional conservation is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of Arabidopsis Elongator subunit AtELP3/ELO3 in tRNA modification.
- To assess the structural and functional conservation of Elongator complexes between Arabidopsis and yeast.
- To explore the compatibility and complementation potential of plant Elongator subunits in yeast mutants.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Arabidopsis mutants lacking AtELP3/ELO3.
- Expression of Arabidopsis Elongator homologues (AtELP3/ELO3, AtELP1/ELO2) in yeast elp3 and elp1 mutants.
- In vivo complementation assays using tRNA nonsense suppression and zymocin tRNase toxin assays.
- Coexpression of plant and yeast Elongator genes in double mutants.
Main Results:
- Arabidopsis mutants lacking AtELP3/ELO3 exhibit defects in tRNA wobble uridine modification.
- Arabidopsis Elongator subunits assemble into functional complexes with yeast homologues, indicating structural conservation.
- AtELP1 successfully complemented yeast elp1 mutants, but AtELP3 failed to complement yeast elp3 mutants due to incompatibility with yeast ELP1.
- Coexpression of AtELP1 and AtELP3 in a yeast double mutant restored tRNA modification function.
- AtELP1 facilitated complementation by yeast-plant Elp3 hybrids, suggesting less stringent requirements than ScELP1.
Conclusions:
- Yeast and plant Elongator complexes share conserved tRNA modification roles.
- Functional incompatibility between plant and yeast Elongator subunits exists, particularly concerning AtELP3 and ScELP1.
- The tRNA modification function of Elongator is likely conserved across eukaryotic kingdoms.
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