The tRNA Elbow in Structure, Recognition and Evolution
Prominent in the L-shaped three-dimensional structure of tRNAs is the “elbow” where their two orthogonal helical stacks meet. It has a conserved structure arising from the interaction of the terminal loops of the D- and T-stem-loops, and presents to solution a flat face of a tertiary base pair betwe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/6/1/3 |
| _version_ | 1828151490783477760 |
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| author | Jinwei Zhang Adrian R. Ferré-D’Amaré |
| author_facet | Jinwei Zhang Adrian R. Ferré-D’Amaré |
| author_sort | Jinwei Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Prominent in the L-shaped three-dimensional structure of tRNAs is the “elbow” where their two orthogonal helical stacks meet. It has a conserved structure arising from the interaction of the terminal loops of the D- and T-stem-loops, and presents to solution a flat face of a tertiary base pair between the D- and T-loops. In addition to the ribosome, which interacts with the elbow in all three of its tRNA binding sites, several cellular RNAs and many proteins are known to recognize the elbow. At least three classes of non-coding RNAs, namely 23S rRNA, ribonuclease P, and the T-box riboswitches, recognize the tRNA elbow employing an identical structural motif consisting of two interdigitated T-loops. In contrast, structural solutions to tRNA-elbow recognition by proteins are varied. Some enzymes responsible for post-transcriptional tRNA modification even disrupt the elbow structure in order to access their substrate nucleotides. The evolutionary origin of the elbow is mysterious, but, because it does not explicitly participate in the flow of genetic information, it has been proposed to be a late innovation. Regardless, it is biologically essential. Even some viruses that hijack the cellular machinery using tRNA decoys have convergently evolved near-perfect mimics of the tRNA elbow. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:57:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5794f57eaa744430a6efc29770669bec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:57:23Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-5794f57eaa744430a6efc29770669bec2022-12-22T04:01:02ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292016-01-0161310.3390/life6010003life6010003The tRNA Elbow in Structure, Recognition and EvolutionJinwei Zhang0Adrian R. Ferré-D’Amaré1Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USALaboratory of RNA Biophysics and Cellular Physiology, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USAProminent in the L-shaped three-dimensional structure of tRNAs is the “elbow” where their two orthogonal helical stacks meet. It has a conserved structure arising from the interaction of the terminal loops of the D- and T-stem-loops, and presents to solution a flat face of a tertiary base pair between the D- and T-loops. In addition to the ribosome, which interacts with the elbow in all three of its tRNA binding sites, several cellular RNAs and many proteins are known to recognize the elbow. At least three classes of non-coding RNAs, namely 23S rRNA, ribonuclease P, and the T-box riboswitches, recognize the tRNA elbow employing an identical structural motif consisting of two interdigitated T-loops. In contrast, structural solutions to tRNA-elbow recognition by proteins are varied. Some enzymes responsible for post-transcriptional tRNA modification even disrupt the elbow structure in order to access their substrate nucleotides. The evolutionary origin of the elbow is mysterious, but, because it does not explicitly participate in the flow of genetic information, it has been proposed to be a late innovation. Regardless, it is biologically essential. Even some viruses that hijack the cellular machinery using tRNA decoys have convergently evolved near-perfect mimics of the tRNA elbow.http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/6/1/3tRNA elbowRNA structurebase stackingribosomeT-loopconvergent evolution |
| spellingShingle | Jinwei Zhang Adrian R. Ferré-D’Amaré The tRNA Elbow in Structure, Recognition and Evolution Life tRNA elbow RNA structure base stacking ribosome T-loop convergent evolution |
| title | The tRNA Elbow in Structure, Recognition and Evolution |
| title_full | The tRNA Elbow in Structure, Recognition and Evolution |
| title_fullStr | The tRNA Elbow in Structure, Recognition and Evolution |
| title_full_unstemmed | The tRNA Elbow in Structure, Recognition and Evolution |
| title_short | The tRNA Elbow in Structure, Recognition and Evolution |
| title_sort | trna elbow in structure recognition and evolution |
| topic | tRNA elbow RNA structure base stacking ribosome T-loop convergent evolution |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/6/1/3 |
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