Publications

• Novel mechanism of post-transcriptional modification of tRNA. Insertion of bases of Q precursors into tRNA by a specific tRNA transglycosylase reaction.

  Okada N., Noguchi S., Kasai H., Shindo-Okada N., Ohgi T., Goto T., Nishimura S.

  The guanine insertion enzyme isolated from Escherichia coli (tRNA transglycosylase) catalyzed the incorporation of bases of Q (queuosine) precursors into E. coli undermodified tRNAAsn and tRNATyr. These bases of Q precursors were inserted in the first position of the anticodon of tRNASn and tRNATy ... >> More

  The guanine insertion enzyme isolated from Escherichia coli (tRNA transglycosylase) catalyzed the incorporation of bases of Q (queuosine) precursors into E. coli undermodified tRNAAsn and tRNATyr. These bases of Q precursors were inserted in the first position of the anticodon of tRNASn and tRNATyr, replacing guanine originally located in that position. This is a novel type of post-transcriptional modification, inserting a modified base into the polynucleotide chain by cleavage of the N--C glycoside bond without breakage of the phosphodiester bond. One of the bases of Q precursors, 7-(aminomethyl)-7-deazaguanine, was found in the acid-soluble fraction of E. coli cells, supporting the conclusion that formation of Q, 7-(3,4-trans-4,5-cis-dihydroxy-1-cyclopenten-3-ylaminomethyl)-7-deazaguanosine, in tRNA in vivo actually proceeds by the tRNA transglycosylase reaction. << Less

  J Biol Chem 254:3067-3073(1979) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Role of aspartate 143 in Escherichia coli tRNA-guanine transglycosylase: alteration of heterocyclic substrate specificity.

  Todorov K.A., Garcia G.A.

  tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (TGT) is a key enzyme involved in the post-transcriptional modification of certain tRNAs in their anticodon wobble positions with queuine. To maintain the correct Watson-Crick base pairing properties of the wobble base (and hence proper translation of the genetic code ... >> More

  tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (TGT) is a key enzyme involved in the post-transcriptional modification of certain tRNAs in their anticodon wobble positions with queuine. To maintain the correct Watson-Crick base pairing properties of the wobble base (and hence proper translation of the genetic code), TGT must recognize its heterocyclic substrate with high specificity. The X-ray crystal structure of a eubacterial TGT bound to preQ1 [Romier, C., et al. (1996) EMBO J. 15, 2850-2857] suggested that aspartate 143 (Escherichia coli TGT numbering) was involved in heterocyclic substrate recognition. Subsequent mutagenic and computational modeling studies from our lab [Todorov, K. A., et al. (2005) Biophys. J. 89 (3), 1965-1977] provided experimental evidence supporting this hypothesis. Herein, we report further studies probing the differential heterocyclic substrate recognition properties of the aspartate 143 mutant TGTs. Our results are consistent with one of the mutants exhibiting an inversion of substrate recognition preference (xanthine vs guanine) relative to that of the wild type, as evidenced by Km values. This confirms the key role of aspartate 143 in maintaining the anticodon identities of the queuine-containing tRNAs and suggests that TGT mutants could be developed that would alter the tRNA wobble base base pairing properties. << Less

  Biochemistry 45:617-625(2006) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Queuosine formation in eukaryotic tRNA occurs via a mitochondria-localized heteromeric transglycosylase.

  Boland C., Hayes P., Santa-Maria I., Nishimura S., Kelly V.P.

  tRNA guanine transglycosylase (TGT) enzymes are responsible for the formation of queuosine in the anticodon loop (position 34) of tRNA(Asp), tRNA(Asn), tRNA(His), and tRNA(Tyr); an almost universal event in eubacterial and eukaryotic species. Despite extensive characterization of the eubacterial T ... >> More

  tRNA guanine transglycosylase (TGT) enzymes are responsible for the formation of queuosine in the anticodon loop (position 34) of tRNA(Asp), tRNA(Asn), tRNA(His), and tRNA(Tyr); an almost universal event in eubacterial and eukaryotic species. Despite extensive characterization of the eubacterial TGT the eukaryotic activity has remained undefined. Our search of mouse EST and cDNA data bases identified a homologue of the Escherichia coli TGT and three spliced variants of the queuine tRNA guanine transglycosylase domain containing 1 (QTRTD1) gene. QTRTD1 variant_1 (Qv1) was found to be the predominant adult form. Functional cooperativity of TGT and Qv1 was suggested by their coordinate mRNA expression in Northern blots and from their association in vivo by immunoprecipitation. Neither TGT nor Qv1 alone could complement a tgt mutation in E. coli. However, transglycosylase activity could be obtained when the proteins were combined in vitro. Confocal and immunoblot analysis suggest that TGT weakly interacts with the outer mitochondrial membrane possibly through association with Qv1, which was found to be stably associated with the organelle. << Less

  J. Biol. Chem. 284:18218-18227(2009) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]