An aminoacylation ribozyme evolved from a natural tRNA-sensing T-box riboswitch

Nat Chem Biol. 2020 Jun;16(6):702-709. doi: 10.1038/s41589-020-0500-6. Epub 2020 Mar 23.

Abstract

When the primitive translation system first emerged in the hypothetical RNA world, ribozymes could have been responsible for aminoacylation. Given that naturally occurring T-box riboswitches selectively sense the aminoacylation status of cognate tRNAs, we introduced a domain of random sequence into a T-box-tRNA conjugate and isolated ribozymes that were self-aminoacylating on the 3'-terminal hydroxyl group. One of them, named Tx2.1, recognizes the anticodon and D-loop of tRNA via interaction with its stem I domain, similarly to the parental T-box, and selectively charges N-biotinyl-L-phenylalanine (Bio-lPhe) onto the 3' end of the cognate tRNA in trans. We also demonstrated the ribosomal synthesis of a Bio-lPhe-initiated peptide in a Tx2.1-coupled in vitro translation system, in which Tx2.1 catalyzed specific tRNA aminoacylation in situ. This suggests that such ribozymes could have coevolved with a primitive translation system in the RNA world.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacillus subtilis / enzymology
  • Base Sequence
  • Biotin / chemistry
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Gene Library
  • Models, Genetic
  • Models, Molecular
  • Mutation
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Phenylalanine / chemistry
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA, Catalytic / genetics*
  • RNA, Catalytic / metabolism*
  • Riboswitch / genetics*
  • Streptavidin / metabolism
  • Transfer RNA Aminoacylation / drug effects*

Substances

  • RNA, Catalytic
  • Riboswitch
  • Phenylalanine
  • Biotin
  • Streptavidin