Reversible RNA phosphorylation stabilizes tRNA for cellular thermotolerance.

ABSTRACT: Post-transcriptional modifications have critical roles in tRNA stability and function^1-4. In thermophiles, tRNAs are heavily modified to maintain their thermal stability under extreme growth temperatures^5,6. Here we identified 2'-phosphouridine (U^p) at position 47 of tRNAs from thermophilic archaea. U^p47 confers thermal stability and nuclease resistance to tRNAs. Atomic structures of native archaeal tRNA showed a unique metastable core structure stabilized by U^p47. The 2'-phosphate of U^p47 protrudes from the tRNA core and prevents backbone rotation during thermal denaturation. In addition, we identified the arkI gene, which encodes an archaeal RNA kinase responsible for U^p47 formation. Structural studies showed th

SUBMITTER: Ohira T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9095486 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature