PH-sensitivity of the ribosomal peptidyl transfer reaction dependent on the identity of the A-site aminoacyl-tRNA.

ABSTRACT: We studied the pH-dependence of ribosome catalyzed peptidyl transfer from fMet-tRNA(fMet) to the aa-tRNAs Phe-tRNA(Phe), Ala-tRNA(Ala), Gly-tRNA(Gly), Pro-tRNA(Pro), Asn-tRNA(Asn), and Ile-tRNA(Ile), selected to cover a large range of intrinsic pK(a)-values for the α-amino group of their amino acids. The peptidyl transfer rates were different at pH 7.5 and displayed different pH-dependence, quantified as the pH-value, pK(a)(obs), at which the rate was half maximal. The pK(a)(obs)-values were downshifted relative to the intrinsic pK(a)-value of aa-tRNAs in bulk solution. Gly-tRNA(Gly) had the smallest downshift, while Ile-tRNA(Ile) and Ala-tRNA(Ala) had the largest downshifts. These downshifts correlate strongly with molecular dynamics (MD) estimates of the downshifts in pK(a)-values of the

SUBMITTER: Johansson M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3017169 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature