Toward understanding phosphoseryl-tRNACys formation: The crystal structure of Methanococcus maripaludis phosphoseryl-tRNA synthetase

Abstract

A number of archaeal organisms generate Cys-tRNACys in a two-step pathway, first charging phosphoserine (Sep) onto tRNACys and subsequently converting it to Cys-tRNACys. We have determined, at 3.2-Å resolution, the structure of the Methanococcus maripaludis phosphoseryl-tRNA synthetase (SepRS), which catalyzes the first step of this pathway. The structure shows that SepRS is a class II, α4 synthetase whose quaternary structure arrangement of subunits closely resembles that of the heterotetrameric (αβ)2 phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS). Homology modeling of a tRNA complex indicates that, in contrast to PheRS, a single monomer in the SepRS tetramer may recognize both the acceptor terminus and anticodon of a tRNA substrate. Using a complex with tungstate as a marker for the position of the phosphate moiety of Sep, we suggest that SepRS and PheRS bind their respective amino acid substrates in dissimilar orientations by using different residues. © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA.