Translational quality control by trans-editing domains

Ohio State University, Columbus OH

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Abstract

Summary Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) establish the rules of the genetic code, whereby each amino acid is attached to a cognate tRNA. Errors in this process lead to mistranslation, which can be toxic to cells. Approximately half of the ARSs possess a proofreading (or editing) function to hydrolyze mischarged aa-tRNAs and evidence that non-proteinaceous amino acids pose the greatest threat to fidelity is beginning to emerge. Early work in the Musier-Forsyth lab focused on our discovery of Class II prolyl-tRNA synthetase (ProRS) editing. This led to a mechanistic understanding of the bacterial ProRS posttransfer editing domain (INS) and the demonstration that the INS domain. We subsequently discovered that single-domain INS homologs are widespread in Bacteria and in recent years, our focus in this area has turned almost entirely to understanding the function of these INS-like domains in tRNA editing. However, many open questions regarding the physiological function of these putative trans- editing proteins remain. The overarching goal of the research described in this MIRA application is to uncover the specific functions of a growing family of trans-editing proteins known as the INS superfamily. This diverse yet universally conserved family now has a solid and accumulating in vitro structure-function knowledge base, which strongly supports a role in maintaining translational fidelity. Our knowledge of the broader physiological roles of these proteins, especially in eukaryotes, is still in its infancy and is just beginning to reveal wider roles than previously anticipated. This major gap will be addressed in this work.