Identity elements for the aminoacylation of metazoan mitochondrial tRNA(Arg) have been widely conserved throughout evolution and ensure the fidelity of the AGR codon reassignment.

ABSTRACT: Eumetazoan mitochondrial tRNAs possess structures (identity elements) that require the specific recognition by their cognate nuclear-encoded aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. The AGA (arginine) codon of the standard genetic code has been reassigned to serine/glycine/termination in eumetazoan organelles and is translated in some organisms by a mitochondrially encoded tRNA(Ser)UCU. One mechanism to prevent mistranslation of the AGA codon as arginine would require a set of tRNA identity elements distinct from those possessed by the cytoplasmic tRNAArg in which the major identity elements permit the arginylation of all 5 encoded isoacceptors. We have performed comparative in vitro aminoacylation using an insect mitochondrial arginyl-tRNA synthetase and tRNAArgUCG structural variants. The established

SUBMITTER: Igloi GL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4615739 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature