Skip to main content
Log in

The role of 2-methylthio-N6-isopentenyladenosine in readthrough and suppression of nonsense codons in Escherichia coli

  • Published:
Molecular and General Genetics MGG Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Readthrough and suppression of nonsense codons was compared in Escherichia coli strains with and without a miaA mutation, which confers a loss of the isopentenyladenosine modification in transfer RNA. Generally speaking, our results conform to predictions based on previous literature. In addition, we showed that the miaA mutation in strain TRPX is itself a UAA mutation. An antagonism between miaA and rpsL mutations, which confer streptomycin resistance, was also discovered. Our data further suggest that slight alterations of the translation apparatus are easily detectable by monitoring readthrough and suppression of nonsense codons. Our findings are discussed in the context of old and recent reports.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beckwith JR (1963) Restoration of operon activity by suppressors. Biochim Biophys Acta 76:162–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Borer P, Dengler B, Tinoco I, Uhlenbeck O (1974) Stability of ribonucleic acid double stranded helices. J Mol Biol 86:843–853

    Google Scholar 

  • Bossi L, Roth JR (1980) The influence of codon context on genetic translation. Nature 286:123–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradley D, Park JV, Soll L (1981) tRNA Gln2 su + 2 mutants that increase amber suppression. J Bacteriol 145:704–712

    Google Scholar 

  • Breckenridge L, Gorini L (1970) Genetic analysis of streptomycin resistance in Escherichia coli. Genetics 65:9–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckingham RH, Kurland CG (1977) Codon specificity of UGA suppressor tRNA-Trp from Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74:5496–5498

    Google Scholar 

  • Carbon J, Fleck E (1974) Genetic alterations of structure and function in glycine tRNA of E. coli: mechanism of suppression of the tryptophan synthetase A78 mutation. J Mol Biol 85:371–391

    Google Scholar 

  • Cedergren RJ, Sankoff D, LaRue B, Grosjean H (1981). The evolving tRNA molecule. Crit Rev Bioch 11:35–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies J, Jones DS, Khorana HG (1966) A further study of misreading of codons induced by streptomycin and neomycin using ribopolynucleotides containing two nucleotides in alternating sequence as templates. J Mol Biol 18:48–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg SP, Yarus M, Soll L (1979) The effect of an Escherichia coli regulatory mutation on transfer RNA structure. J Mol Biol 135:111–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Engelberg-Kulka H, Amiel A, Miller C, Schoulaker-Schwarz R (1982) Studies on the involvement of the UGA readthrough process in the mechanism of attenuation of the tryptophan operon of Escherichia coli. Mol Gen Genet 188:156–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Funatsu G, Wittmann HG (1972) Ribosomal proteins. XXXIII. Location of amino-acid replacements in protein S12 isolated from Escherichia coli mutants resistant to streptomycin. J Mol Biol 68:547–550

    Google Scholar 

  • Gefter ML, Russell RL (1969) Role of modifications in tyrosine transfer RNA: A modified base affecting ribosome binding. J Mol Biol 39:145–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorini L (1969) The contrasting role of strA, and ram gene products in ribosomal functioning. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 34:101–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Grosjean H, Söll DG, Crothers DM (1976) Studies of the complex between transfer RNAs with complementary anticodons. Origins of enhanced affinity between complementary triplets. J Mol Biol 103:499–519

    Google Scholar 

  • Grosjean H, DeHenau S, Crothers DM (1978) On the physical basis for ambiguity in genetic coding interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75:610–614

    Google Scholar 

  • Herschmann HR, Helinski DR (1967) Comparative study of the events associated with colicin induction. J Bacteriol 94:691–699

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch D (1971) Tryptophan transfer RNA as the UGA suppressor. J Mol Biol 58:439–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch D, Gold L (1971) Translation of the UGA triplet in vitro by tryptophan transfer RNA. J Mol Biol 58:459–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Inokuchi H, Yamao F, Sakano H, Ozeki H (1979) Identification of transfer RNA suppressors in Escherichia coli. I. Amber suppressor su + 2, an anticodon mutant of tRNA Gln2. J Mol Biol 132:649–662

    Google Scholar 

  • Laten H, Gorman J, Bock RM (1978) Isopentenyladenosine deficient tRNA from an antisuppressor mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nucl Acids Res 5:4329–4342

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller JH (1972) Experiments in molecular genetics. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Momose H, Gorini L (1971) Genetic analysis of streptomycin dependence in Escherichia coli. Genetics 67:19–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Nirenberg M, Leder P (1964) Codewords and protein synthesis. The effect of trinucleotides upon the binding of tRNA to ribosomes. Science 145:1399–1407

    Google Scholar 

  • Nishimura S (1972) Minor components in transfer RNA: Their characterization, location and function. Progr Nucl Acid Res Mol Biol 12:49–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohlsson BM, Strigini P, Beckwith JR (1968) Allelic amber and ochre suppressors. J Mol Biol 36:209–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozaki M, Mizushima S, Nomura M (1969) Identification and functional characterization of the protein controlled by the streptomycin resistant locus in E. coli. Nature 222:333–339

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozeki H, Inokuchi H, Yamao F, Kodaira M, Sakano H, Ikemura T, Shimura Y (1980) Genetics of nonsense suppressor tRNAs in E. coli. In Söll D, Abelson JN, Schimmel PR (eds) Transfer RNA: Biological aspects. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, p 341

    Google Scholar 

  • Remes B, Elseviers D (1980) Adenosine 5′-triphosphate leakage does not cause abortive infection of bacteriophage T7 in male Escherichia coli J Bacteriol 143:1054–1056

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaefler S, Maas WK (1967) Inducible system for the utilization of β-glucosides in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 93:264–272

    Google Scholar 

  • Strigini P, Brickmann E (1973) Analysis of specific misreading in Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol 75:659–672

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel HJ, Bonner DM (1956) Acetylornithinase of Escherichia coli: Partial purification and some properties. J Biol Chem 218:97–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Yanofsky C (1981) Attenuation in the control of expression of bacterial operons. Nature 289:751–758

    Google Scholar 

  • Yanofsky C, Soll L (1977) Mutations affecting tRNA-Trp and its charging and their effect on regulation of transcription termination at the attenuator of the tryptophan operon. J Mol Biol 113:663–677

    Google Scholar 

  • Yarus M (1982) Translational efficiency of transfer RNAs: Uses of an extended anticodon. Science 218:646–652

    Google Scholar 

  • Zubay G (1962) The isolation and fractionation of soluble ribonucleic acid. J Mol Biol 4:347–356

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Communicated by A. Böck

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Petrullo, L.A., Gallagher, P.J. & Elseviers, D. The role of 2-methylthio-N6-isopentenyladenosine in readthrough and suppression of nonsense codons in Escherichia coli . Mol Gen Genet 190, 289–294 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00330653

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00330653

Keywords

Navigation