Abstract
Thermus thermophilus is an extreme-thermophilic bacterium that can grow at a wide range of temperatures (50–83°C). To enable T. thermophilus to grow at high temperatures, several biomolecules including tRNA and tRNA modification enzymes show extreme heat-resistance. Therefore, the modified nucleosides in tRNA from T. thermophilus have been studied mainly from the view point of tRNA stabilization at high temperatures. Such studies have shown that several modifications stabilize the structure of tRNA and are essential for survival of the organism at high temperatures. Together with tRNA modification enzymes, the modified nucleosides form a network that regulates the extent of different tRNA modifications at various temperatures. In this review, I describe this network, as well as the tRNA recognition mechanism of individual tRNA modification enzymes. Furthermore, I summarize the roles of other tRNA stabilization factors such as polyamines and metal ions.
Highlights
Thermus thermophilus is an extreme-thermophilic bacterium isolated from Mine Hot Spring in Japan that can grow at a wide range of temperatures (50–83◦C) (Oshima and Imahori, 1974)
A method for preparing gene disruptant strains of T. thermophilus has been established (Hoseki et al, 1999; Hashimoto et al, 2001). Both expression vectors for T. thermophilus proteins in Escherichia coli cells and gene disruption vectors are available from RIKEN Bio Resource Center1
To fit into the catalytic pocket of TruB, the uracil base must be flipped. These observations suggest that the reaction of tRNA modification enzyme comprises at least two steps, initial binding to the L-shaped tRNA, followed by a structural change process in which the L-shaped tRNA structure is disrupted
Summary
Thermus thermophilus is an extreme-thermophilic bacterium that can grow at a wide range of temperatures (50–83◦C). To enable T. thermophilus to grow at high temperatures, several biomolecules including tRNA and tRNA modification enzymes show extreme heat-resistance. The modified nucleosides in tRNA from T. thermophilus have been studied mainly from the view point of tRNA stabilization at high temperatures. Such studies have shown that several modifications stabilize the structure of tRNA and are essential for survival of the organism at high temperatures. Together with tRNA modification enzymes, the modified nucleosides form a network that regulates the extent of different tRNA modifications at various temperatures.
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