Homologous trans-editing factors with broad tRNA specificity prevent mistranslation caused by serine/threonine misactivation

Abstract

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) establish the rules of the genetic code, whereby each amino acid is attached to a cognate tRNA. Errors in this process lead to mistranslation, which can be toxic to cells. The selective forces exerted by species-specific requirements and environmental conditions potentially shape quality-control mechanisms that serve to prevent mistranslation. A family of editing factors that are homologous to the editing domain of bacterial prolyl-tRNA synthetase includes the previously characterized trans-editing factors ProXp-ala and YbaK, which clear Ala-tRNA(Pro) and Cys-tRNA(Pro), respectively, and three additional homologs of unknown function, ProXp-x, ProXp-y, and ProXp-z. We performed an in vivo screen of 230 conditions in which an Escherichia coli proXp-y deletion strain was grown in the presence of elevated levels of amino acids and specific ARSs. This screen, together with the results of in vitro deacylation assays, revealed Ser- and Thr-tRNA deacylase function for this homolog. A similar activity was demonstrated for Bordetella parapertussis ProXp-z in vitro. These proteins, now renamed "ProXp-ST1" and "ProXp-ST2," respectively, recognize multiple tRNAs as substrates. Taken together, our data suggest that these free-standing editing domains have the ability to prevent mistranslation errors caused by a number of ARSs, including lysyl-tRNA synthetase, threonyl-tRNA synthetase, seryl-tRNA synthetase, and alanyl-tRNA synthetase. The expression of these multifunctional enzymes is likely to provide a selective growth advantage to organisms subjected to environmental stresses and other conditions that alter the amino acid pool.