A glycine hinge for tRNA-dependent translocation of editing substrates to prevent errors by leucyl-tRNA synthetase

Anjali P. Mascarenhas, Susan A. Martinis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases often rely on a proofreading mechanism to clear mischarging errors before they can be incorporated into newly synthesized proteins. Leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) houses a hydrolytic editing pocket in a domain that is distinct from its aminoacylation domain. Mischarged amino acids are transiently translocated ∼30 Å between active sites for editing by an unknown tRNA-dependent mechanism. A glycine within a flexible β-strand that links the aminoacylation and editing domains of LeuRS was determined to be important to tRNA translocation. The translocation-defective mutation also demonstrated that the editing site screens both correctly and incorrectly charged tRNAs prior to product release.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3443-3447
Number of pages5
JournalFEBS Letters
Volume583
Issue number21
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 3 2009

Keywords

  • Amino acid editing
  • Fidelity
  • Protein synthesis
  • Translocation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biophysics
  • Structural Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Cell Biology

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