Structural and mechanistic insights into guanylylation of RNA-splicing ligase RtcB joining RNA between 3'-terminal phosphate and 5'-OH.
Publication Type:
Journal ArticleSource:
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, Volume 109, Issue 38, p.15235-40 (2012)Keywords:
Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases, Binding Sites, Catalysis, Catalytic Domain, Cyclic GMP, Escherichia coli Proteins, Guanosine Triphosphate, Ions, Manganese, Models, Molecular, Molecular Conformation, Polynucleotide Ligases, Protein Binding, Pyrococcus horikoshii, RNA Splicing, RNA, Transfer, Substrate Specificity, SulfatesAbstract:
<p>The RtcB protein has recently been identified as a 3'-phosphate RNA ligase that directly joins an RNA strand ending with a 2',3'-cyclic phosphate to the 5'-hydroxyl group of another RNA strand in a GTP/Mn(2+)-dependent reaction. Here, we report two crystal structures of Pyrococcus horikoshii RNA-splicing ligase RtcB in complex with Mn(2+) alone (RtcB/ Mn(2+)) and together with a covalently bound GMP (RtcB-GMP/Mn(2+)). The RtcB/ Mn(2+) structure (at 1.6 Å resolution) shows two Mn(2+) ions at the active site, and an array of sulfate ions nearby that indicate the binding sites of the RNA phosphate backbone. The structure of the RtcB-GMP/Mn(2+) complex (at 2.3 Å resolution) reveals the detailed geometry of guanylylation of histidine 404. The critical roles of the key residues involved in the binding of the two Mn(2+) ions, the four sulfates, and GMP are validated in extensive mutagenesis and biochemical experiments, which also provide a thorough characterization for the three steps of the RtcB ligation pathway: (i) guanylylation of the enzyme, (ii) guanylyl-transfer to the RNA substrate, and (iii) overall ligation. These results demonstrate that the enzyme's substrate-induced GTP binding site and the putative reactive RNA ends are in the vicinity of the binuclear Mn(2+) active center, which provides detailed insight into how the enzyme-bound GMP is tansferred to the 3'-phosphate of the RNA substrate for activation and subsequent nucleophilic attack by the 5'-hydroxyl of the second RNA substrate, resulting in the ligated product and release of GMP.</p>