The temperature sensitivity of a mutation in the essential tRNA modification enzyme tRNA methyltransferase D (TrmD).

ABSTRACT: Conditional temperature-sensitive (ts) mutations are important reagents to study essential genes. Although it is commonly assumed that the ts phenotype of a specific mutation arises from thermal denaturation of the mutant enzyme, the possibility also exists that the mutation decreases the enzyme activity to a certain level at the permissive temperature and aggravates the negative effect further upon temperature upshifts. Resolving these possibilities is important for exploiting the ts mutation for studying the essential gene. The trmD gene is essential for growth in bacteria, encoding the enzyme for converting G37 to m(1)G37 on the 3' side of the tRNA anticodon. This conversion involves methyl transfer from S-adenosyl methionine and is critical to minimize tRNA frameshift errors on the rib

SUBMITTER: Masuda I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3789996 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature