Chemical and Conformational Diversity of Modified Nucleosides Affects tRNA Structure and Function

Ville Y P Väre; Emily R Eruysal; Amithi Narendran; Kathryn L Sarachan; Paul F Agris

doi:10.3390/biom7010029

Chemical and Conformational Diversity of Modified Nucleosides Affects tRNA Structure and Function

Biomolecules. 2017 Mar 16;7(1):29. doi: 10.3390/biom7010029.

Authors

Ville Y P Väre¹, Emily R Eruysal², Amithi Narendran³, Kathryn L Sarachan⁴, Paul F Agris⁵

Affiliations

¹ The RNA Institute, Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA. vvare@albany.edu.
² The RNA Institute, Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA. eeruysal@albany.edu.
³ The RNA Institute, Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA. anarendran@albany.edu.
⁴ The RNA Institute, Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA. KSarachan@albany.edu.
⁵ The RNA Institute, Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA. pagris@albany.edu.

Abstract

RNAs are central to all gene expression through the control of protein synthesis. Four major nucleosides, adenosine, guanosine, cytidine and uridine, compose RNAs and provide sequence variation, but are limited in contributions to structural variation as well as distinct chemical properties. The ability of RNAs to play multiple roles in cellular metabolism is made possible by extensive variation in length, conformational dynamics, and the over 100 post-transcriptional modifications. There are several reviews of the biochemical pathways leading to RNA modification, but the physicochemical nature of modified nucleosides and how they facilitate RNA function is of keen interest, particularly with regard to the contributions of modified nucleosides. Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are the most extensively modified RNAs. The diversity of modifications provide versatility to the chemical and structural environments. The added chemistry, conformation and dynamics of modified nucleosides occurring at the termini of stems in tRNA's cloverleaf secondary structure affect the global three-dimensional conformation, produce unique recognition determinants for macromolecules to recognize tRNAs, and affect the accurate and efficient decoding ability of tRNAs. This review will discuss the impact of specific chemical moieties on the structure, stability, electrochemical properties, and function of tRNAs.

Keywords: RNA modified nucleoside contributions to function; chemical biology of RNA modifications; physicochemical properties of RNA modifications; tRNA modifications.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Anticodon / chemistry
Methylation
Nucleic Acid Conformation*
Nucleosides / chemistry*
RNA, Transfer / chemistry*
RNA, Transfer / metabolism*
Stereoisomerism

Substances

Anticodon
Nucleosides
RNA, Transfer

Grants and funding

R01 GM110588/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States