Highlights on trypanosomatid aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis

Abstract

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases aaRSs are responsible for the amino-acylation of tRNAs in the fi rst step of protein synthesis. They comprise a group of enzymes that catalyze the formation of each possible aminoacyl-tRNA necessary for messenger RNA decoding in a cell. These enzymes have been divided into two classes according to structural features of their active sites and, although each class shares a common active site core, they present an assorted array of appended domains that makes them suffi ciently diverse among the different living organisms. Here we will explore what is known about the diversity encountered among try-panosomatids’ aaRSs that has helped us not only to understand better the biology of these parasites but can be used rationally for the design of drugs against these protozoa.