C 2-methyladenosine in tRNA promotes protein translation by facilitating the decoding of tandem m2A-tRNA-dependent codons

Hong-Chao Duan; Chi Zhang; Peizhe Song; Junbo Yang; Ye Wang; Guifang Jia

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-45166-6

Nature Communications (Feb 2024)

C 2-methyladenosine in tRNA promotes protein translation by facilitating the decoding of tandem m2A-tRNA-dependent codons

Hong-Chao Duan,
Chi Zhang,
Peizhe Song,
Junbo Yang,
Ye Wang,
Guifang Jia

Affiliations

Hong-Chao Duan: Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University
Chi Zhang: Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University
Peizhe Song: Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University
Junbo Yang: Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University
Ye Wang: Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University
Guifang Jia: Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45166-6
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 17

Abstract

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Abstract RNA modification C 2-methyladenosine (m2A) exists in both rRNA and tRNA of Escherichia coli (E. coli), installed by the methyltransferase RlmN using a radical-S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) mechanism. However, the precise function of m2A in tRNA and its ubiquity in plants have remained unclear. Here we discover the presence of m2A in chloroplast rRNA and tRNA, as well as cytosolic tRNA, in multiple plant species. We identify six m2A-modified chloroplast tRNAs and two m2A-modified cytosolic tRNAs across different plants. Furthermore, we characterize three Arabidopsis m2A methyltransferases—RLMNL1, RLMNL2, and RLMNL3—which methylate chloroplast rRNA, chloroplast tRNA, and cytosolic tRNA, respectively. Our findings demonstrate that m2A37 promotes a relaxed conformation of tRNA, enhancing translation efficiency in chloroplast and cytosol by facilitating decoding of tandem m2A-tRNA-dependent codons. This study provides insights into the molecular function and biological significance of m2A, uncovering a layer of translation regulation in plants.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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