Riboswitch (T-box)-mediated control of tRNA-dependent amidation in Clostridium acetobutylicum rationalizes gene and pathway redundancy for asparagine and asparaginyl-trnaasn synthesis

J Biol Chem. 2012 Jun 8;287(24):20382-94. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.332304. Epub 2012 Apr 13.

Abstract

Analysis of the Gram-positive Clostridium acetobutylicum genome reveals an inexplicable level of redundancy for the genes putatively involved in asparagine (Asn) and Asn-tRNA(Asn) synthesis. Besides a duplicated set of gatCAB tRNA-dependent amidotransferase genes, there is a triplication of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase genes and a duplication of asparagine synthetase B genes. This genomic landscape leads to the suspicion of the incoherent simultaneous use of the direct and indirect pathways of Asn and Asn-tRNA(Asn) formation. Through a combination of biochemical and genetic approaches, we show that C. acetobutylicum forms Asn and Asn-tRNA(Asn) by tRNA-dependent amidation. We demonstrate that an entire transamidation pathway composed of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase and one set of GatCAB genes is organized as an operon under the control of a tRNA(Asn)-dependent T-box riboswitch. Finally, our results suggest that this exceptional gene redundancy might be interconnected to control tRNA-dependent Asn synthesis, which in turn might be involved in controlling the metabolic switch from acidogenesis to solventogenesis in C. acetobutylicum.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Asparagine / biosynthesis*
  • Asparagine / genetics
  • Aspartate-Ammonia Ligase / biosynthesis*
  • Aspartate-Ammonia Ligase / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Clostridium acetobutylicum / genetics
  • Clostridium acetobutylicum / metabolism*
  • RNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • RNA, Bacterial / metabolism*
  • RNA, Transfer, Amino Acyl / biosynthesis*
  • RNA, Transfer, Amino Acyl / genetics
  • Riboswitch / physiology*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • RNA, Bacterial
  • RNA, Transfer, Amino Acyl
  • Riboswitch
  • Asparagine
  • Aspartate-Ammonia Ligase