Abstract
THE functional analysis of determinants on RNA has been largely limited to molecules that contain naturally occurring ribonucleotides, so little is known about the role of 2′-hydroxyl groups in protein–RNA recognition. A single base pair (G3·U70) in the acceptor stem of tRNAAla is the principal element for specific recognition by Escherichia coli alanine-tRNA synthetase1,2. This tRNA synthetase aminoacylates small RNA helices that contain the G3·U70 base pair. Furthermore, removal of the G3 exocyclic 2-amino group that projects into the minor groove eliminates aminoacylation3. This 2-amino group is flanked on either side by ribose 2′-hydroxyl groups that line the minor groove. Here we use chemical synthesis to construct 32 helices that make deoxy and O-methyl substitutions of individual and multiple 2′-hydroxyl groups near and beyond the G3·U70 base pair and find that functional 2′-hydroxyl contacts are clustered within a few angstroms of the critical 2-amino group. These contacts are highly specific and make a thermodynamically significant contribution to RNA recognition.
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Musier-Forsyth, K., Schimmel, P. Functional contacts of a transfer RNA synthetase with 2′-hydroxyl groups in the RNA minor groove. Nature 357, 513–515 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/357513a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/357513a0
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