SYNTHESIS AND DETERMINATION OF THE BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF YEAST ALANINE tRNA ANALOGUES

The role of base modification in yeast tRNAAl(?) function in protein synthesis was examined by the use of unmodified tRNA analogues. Unmodified full length tRNAs, 5'-half tRNAs (nucleotides 1-35) and 3'-half tRNAs (nucleotides 37-75) were transcribed in vitro using T7-RNA polymerase. Unmodified tRNA half molecules were joined to normally modified half molecules (5'-half, nucleotides 1-36; 3'-half, nucleotides 36-75) by T4-RNA ligase. Using this method, we synthesized three analogues of yeast tRNAAl(?): (i) tRNAAl(?) which lacks base modifications in the 5'-half of the molecule; (ii) tRNAAl(?) which lacks base modifications in the 3'-half of the molecule; and (iii) tRNAAla completely lacking base modifications. We determined the biological activities of these analogues. In rat aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase reactions, the alanine acceptance activity decreased by 52%, 79% and 85% when modified bases were absent from the 5'-half molecule, the 3'-half molecule or the total molecule, respectively. In rabbit reticulocyte lysates, alanine incorporation into proteins decreased by 3%, 57% and 47% for tRNA analogues lacking modified bases in the 5'-half, and 3'-half or the entire tRNA, respectively. These results suggest that the modified nucleotides, especially in the 3'-half molecule, plays an important role in yeast tRNAAla activity.

The role of base modification in yeast tRNAAl(?) function in protein synthesis was examined by the use of unmodified tRNA analogues. Unmodified full length tRNAs, 5’-half tRNAs (nucleotides 1-35) and 3’-half tRNAs (nucleotides 37-75) were transcribed in vitro using T7-RNA polymerase. Unmodified tRNA half molecules were joined to normally modified half molecules (5’-half, nucleotides 1-36; 3’-half, nucleotides 36-75) by T4-RNA ligase. Using this method, we synthesized three analogues of yeast tRNAAl(?): (i) tRNAAl(?) which lacks base modifications in the 5’-half of the molecule; (ii) tRNAAl(?) which lacks base modifications in the 3’-half of the molecule; and (iii) tRNAAla completely lacking base modifications. We determined the biological activities of these analogues. In rat aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase reactions, the alanine acceptance activity decreased by 52%, 79% and 85% when modified bases were absent from the 5’-half molecule, the 3’-half molecule or the total molecule, respectively. In rabbit