Energy cost of translational proofreading in vivo. The aminoacylation of transfer RNA in Escherichia coli.

Abstract

In many cases, the intrinsic binding energies of amino acids to aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are inadequate to give the required accuracy of translation. This has necessitated the evolution of a second determinant of specificity, proofreading, or editing mechanisms that involve the expenditure of energy to remove errors. Studies of an error-editing function of bacterial methionyl-tRNA synthetase have led to the discovery of a distinct chemical mechanism of editing and to molecular dissection of the dual synthetic-editing function of the active site of the synthetase. Studies have also established the importance of proofreading in living cells and allowed direct measurements of energy costs associated with editing in vivo. An unexpected outcome of these studies was a discovery of functional and structural similarities between methionyl-tRNA synthetase and S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, suggesting an evolutionary relationship between the two proteins. The mechanism of editing involves a nucleophilic attack of a sulfur atom on the side chain of homocysteine in homocysteinyl adenylate on its carbonyl carbon, yielding homocysteine thiolactone. The model of the active site of methionyl-tRNA synthetase derived from structure-function studies explains how the active site partitions amino acids between synthetic and editing pathways. Hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions of active site residues Trp305 and Tyr15 with the side chain of methionine prevent the cognate amino acid from entering the editing pathway. These interactions are missing in the case of the smaller side chain of the noncognate homocysteine, which therefore enters the editing pathway. Homocysteine thiolactone is formed as a result of editing of homocysteine by methionyl-tRNA synthetase in bacteria, yeast, and some cultured mammalian cells. In mammalian cells, enhanced synthesis of homocysteine thiolactone, is, thus far, associated with oncogenic transformation. In E. coli, most of the energy cost of proofreading by methionyl-tRNA synthetase is due to editing of the incorrect product, homocysteinyl adenylate.