Modifications on mRNA offer the potential of regulating mRNA fate post-transcriptionally. Recent studies suggested the widespread presence of N-methyladenosine (mA), which disrupts Watson-Crick base pairing, at internal sites of mRNAs. These studies lacked the resolution of identifying individual modified bases, and did not identify specific sequence motifs undergoing the modification or an enzymatic machinery catalysing them, rendering it challenging to validate and functionally characterize putative sites. Here we develop an approach that allows the transcriptome-wide mapping of mA at single-nucleotide resolution. Within the cytosol, mA is present in a low number of mRNAs, typically at low stoichiometries, and almost invariably in tRNA T-loop-like structures, where it is introduced by the TRMT6/TRMT61A complex. We identify a single mA site in the mitochondrial ND5 mRNA, catalysed by TRMT10C, with methylation levels that are highly tissue specific and tightly developmentally controlled. mA leads to translational repression, probably through a mechanism involving ribosomal scanning or translation. Our findings suggest that mA on mRNA, probably because of its disruptive impact on base pairing, leads to translational repression, and is generally avoided by cells, while revealing one case in mitochondria where tight spatiotemporal control over mA levels was adopted as a potential means of post-transcriptional regulation.
Nucleotide modifications within RNA transcripts are found in every organism in all three domains of life. 6-methyladeonsine (m6A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C) and pseudouridine (Ψ) are highly abundant nucleotide modifications in coding sequences of eukaryal mRNAs, while m5C and m6A modifications have also been discovered in archaeal and bacterial mRNAs. Employing in vitro translation assays, we systematically investigated the influence of nucleotide modifications on translation. We introduced m5C, m6A, Ψ or 2′-O-methylated nucleotides at each of the three positions within a codon of the bacterial ErmCL mRNA and analyzed their influence on translation. Depending on the respective nucleotide modification, as well as its position within a codon, protein synthesis remained either unaffected or was prematurely terminated at the modification site, resulting in reduced amounts of the full-length peptide. In the latter case, toeprint analysis of ribosomal complexes was consistent with stalling of translation at the modified codon. When multiple nucleotide modifications were introduced within one codon, an additive inhibitory effect on translation was observed. We also identified the m5C modification to alter the amino acid identity of the corresponding codon, when positioned at the second codon position. Our results suggest a novel mode of gene regulation by nucleotide modifications in bacterial mRNAs.
The main enzymatic reaction of the large ribosomal subunit is peptide bond formation. Ribosome crystallography showed that A2451 of 23S rRNA makes the closest approach to the attacking amino group of aminoacyl-tRNA. Mutations of A2451 had relatively small effects on transpeptidation and failed to unequivocally identify the crucial functional group(s). Here, we employed an in vitro reconstitution system for chemical engineering the peptidyl transferase center by introducing non-natural nucleosides at position A2451. This allowed us to investigate the peptidyl transfer reaction performed by a ribosome that contained a modified nucleoside at the active site. The main finding is that ribosomes carrying a 2′-deoxyribose at A2451 showed a compromised peptidyl transferase activity. In variance, adenine base modifications and even the removal of the entire nucleobase at A2451 had only little impact on peptide bond formation, as long as the 2′-hydroxyl was present. This implicates a functional or structural role of the 2′-hydroxyl group at A2451 for transpeptidation.
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