Efficient Ribosomal Peptidyl Transfer Critically Relies on the Presence of the Ribose 2‘-OH at A2451 of 23S rRNA

Using quantum mechanics and exploiting known crystallographic coordinates of tRNA substrate located in the ribosome peptidyl transferase center around the 2-fold axis, we have investigated the mechanism for peptide-bond formation. The calculation is based on a choice of 50 atoms assumed to be important in the mechanism. We used density functional theory to optimize the geometry and energy of the transition state (TS) for peptide-bond formation. The TS is formed simultaneously with the rotatory motion enabling the translocation of the A-site tRNA 3′ end into the P site, and we estimated the magnitude of rotation angle between the A-site starting position and the place at which the TS occurs. The calculated TS activation energy, E a , is 35.5 kcal (1 kcal = 4.18 kJ)/mol, and the increase in hydrogen bonding between the rotating A-site tRNA and ribosome nucleotides as the TS forms appears to stabilize it to a value qualitatively estimated to be ≈18 kcal/mol. The optimized geometry corresponds to a structure in which the peptide bond is being formed as other bonds are being broken, in such a manner as to release the P-site tRNA so that it may exit as a free molecule and be replaced by the translocating A-site tRNA. At TS formation the 2′ OH group of the P-site tRNA A76 forms a hydrogen bond with the oxygen atom of the carboxyl group of the amino acid attached to the A-site tRNA, which may be indicative of its catalytic role, consistent with recent biochemical experiments.

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 84%

The transition state for formation of the peptide bond in the ribosome

Gindulytė

Bashan

Agmon

et al. 2006

“…This specific phosphate is only the second example for an rRNA backbone functional group that has been identified thus far using the atomic mutagenesis technique to play a pivotal role in ribosomal reactions. Although for ribosome-catalyzed peptide bond formation, the ribose 2′-OH at A2451 has been shown to be important (35,(43)(44)(45)), here we demonstrate the nonbridging phosphate oxygen of A2662 to participate in activating GTP hydrolysis on trGTPases.…”

Section: A2662 Thiophosphate Diastereomers Both Have Wt Activities Inmentioning

confidence: 53%

“…Generation of the circularly permuted (cp) 23S rRNA, subsequent in vitro reconstitution of the 50S particles, and reassociation with native 30S subunits were done as previously described (15,27,43).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of a ribosomal RNA phosphate oxygen during the EF-G–triggered GTP hydrolysis

Koch

Flür

Kreutz

et al. 2015

Self Cite

Elongation factor-catalyzed GTP hydrolysis is a key reaction during the ribosomal elongation cycle. Recent crystal structures of G proteins, such as elongation factor G (EF-G) bound to the ribosome, as well as many biochemical studies, provide evidence that the direct interaction of translational GTPases (trGTPases) with the sarcin-ricin loop (SRL) of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is pivotal for hydrolysis. However, the precise mechanism remains elusive and is intensively debated. Based on the close proximity of the phosphate oxygen of A2662 of the SRL to the supposedly catalytic histidine of EF-G (His87), we probed this interaction by an atomic mutagenesis approach. We individually replaced either of the two nonbridging phosphate oxygens at A2662 with a methyl group by the introduction of a methylphosphonate instead of the natural phosphate in fully functional, reconstituted bacterial ribosomes. Our major finding was that only one of the two resulting diastereomers, the SP methylphosphonate, was compatible with efficient GTPase activation on EF-G. The same trend was observed for a second trGTPase, namely EF4 (LepA). In addition, we provide evidence that the negative charge of the A2662 phosphate group must be retained for uncompromised activity in GTP hydrolysis. In summary, our data strongly corroborate that the nonbridging proSP phosphate oxygen at the A2662 of the SRL is critically involved in the activation of GTP hydrolysis. A mechanistic scenario is supported in which positioning of the catalytically active, protonated His87 through electrostatic interactions with the A2662 phosphate group and H-bond networks are key features of ribosome-triggered activation of trGTPases.

“…2A. Apart from the reacting species it includes the catalytically important 2′-hydroxyl group of A2451 (13,30), the 2′-hydroxyl of C2063, which interacts with the water molecule that bridges the 2′-and 3′-oxygens of A76, and five hydrogen bonded water molecules (E. coli numbering is used throughout). In this model the catalytic hydroxyl groups were represented by methanol molecules and the peptidyl-tRNA substrate with a dipeptide (X-Ala), where the first residue was truncated at the α-carbon.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The transition state for peptide bond formation reveals the ribosome as a water trap

Wallin

Åqvist

2010

103

Recent progress in elucidating the peptide bond formation process on the ribosome has led to notion of a proton shuttle mechanism where the 2'-hydroxyl group of the P-site tRNA plays a key role in mediating proton transfer between the nucleophile and leaving group, whereas ribosomal groups do not actively participate in the reaction. Despite these advances, the detailed nature of the transition state for peptidyl transfer and the role of several trapped water molecules in the peptidyl transferase center remain major open questions. Here, we employ high-level quantum chemical ab initio calculations to locate and characterize global transition states for the reaction, described by a molecular model encompassing all the key elements of the reaction center. The calculated activation enthalpy as well as structures are in excellent agreement with experimental data and point to feasibility of an eight-membered "double proton shuttle" mechanism in which an auxiliary water molecule, observed both in computer simulations and crystal structures, actively participates. A second conserved water molecule is found to be of key importance for stabilizing developing negative charge on the substrate oxyanion and its presence is catalytically favorable both in terms of activation enthalpy and entropy. Transition states calculated both for six-and eight-membered mechanisms are invariably late and do not involve significant charge development on the attacking amino group. Predicted kinetic isotope effects consistent with this picture are similar to those observed for uncatalyzed ester aminolysis reactions in solution.density functional theory | protein synthesis T he peptide bond formation step in protein synthesis is catalyzed by the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) on the large ribosomal subunit. This reaction involves the attack of the α-amino group of an aminoacyl-tRNA molecule bound to ribosomal A-site on the ester carbon of the peptidyl-tRNA in the adjacent P-site of the ribosome. The growing peptide chain is thereby transferred to the A-site tRNA and elongated by one amino acid. Recent years have witnessed considerable progress in our understanding of the peptidyl transfer process due to high-resolution crystallographic structures of the large ribosomal subunit with transition state (TS) analogs (1), as well as kinetic measurements (2-9), mutagenesis data (4, 10-14), and computational studies (15)(16)(17). Hence, the current model of the peptidyl transfer reaction is that ribosomal nucleobases are not directly involved in bond making or breaking through acid-base catalysis (4,10,11,13,18,19), but that the A76 2′-OH group of the P-site substrate plays a key role in mediating proton transfer from the attacking nucleophile to the leaving 3′ ester oxygen (1,15,(20)(21)(22). Furthermore, it was shown that the lower free energy barrier for the ribosome reaction, compared to an uncatalyzed reference reaction in water, is entirely due to a less negative activation entropy (3, 6, 7). Besides contributions from substrate proximity and...