Polynucleotide 3'-terminal phosphate modifications by RNA and DNA ligases

RNA and DNA ligases catalyze the formation of a phosphodiester bond between the 5'-phosphate and 3'-hydroxyl ends of nucleic acids. In this work, we describe the ability of the thermophilic RNA ligase MthRnl from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum to recognize and modify the 3'-terminal phosphate of RNA and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). This ligase can use an RNA 3'p substrate to generate an RNA 2',3'-cyclic phosphate or convert DNA3'p to ssDNA(3')pp(5')A. An RNA ligase from the Thermus scotoductus bacteriophage TS2126 and a predicted T4 Rnl1-like protein from Thermovibrio ammonificans, TVa, were also able to adenylate ssDNA 3'p. These modifications of RNA and DNA 3'-phosphates are similar to the activities of RtcA, an RNA 3'-phosphate cyclase. The initial step involves adenylation of the enzyme by ATP, which is then transferred to either RNA 3'p or DNA 3'p to generate the adenylated intermediate. For RNA (3')pp(5')A, the third step involves attack of the adjacent 2' hydroxyl to generate the RNA 2',3'-cyclic phosphate. These steps are analogous to those in classical 5' phosphate ligation. MthRnl and TS2126 RNA ligases were not able to modify a 3'p in nicked double-stranded DNA. However, T4 DNA ligase and RtcA can use 3'-phosphorylated nicks in double-stranded DNA to produce a 3'-adenylated product. These 3'-terminal phosphate-adenylated intermediates are substrates for deadenylation by yeast 5'Deadenylase. Our findings that classic ligases can duplicate the adenylation and phosphate cyclization activity of RtcA suggests that they have an essential role in metabolism of nucleic acids with 3'-terminal phosphates.