Escherichia coli tRNAArg acceptor-stem isoacceptors: comparative crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis

The aminoacylation of tRNA is a crucial step in cellular protein biosynthesis. Recognition of the cognate tRNA by the correct aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase is ensured by tRNA identity elements. In tRNA(Arg), the identity elements consist of the anticodon, parts of the D-loop and the discriminator base. The minor groove of the aminoacyl stem interacts with the arginyl-tRNA synthetase. As a consequence of the redundancy of the genetic code, six tRNA(Arg) isoacceptors exist. In the present work, three different Escherichia coli tRNA(Arg) acceptor-stem helices were crystallized. Two of them, the tRNA(Arg) microhelices RR-1660 and RR-1662, were examined by X-ray diffraction analysis and diffracted to 1.7 and 1.8 angstrom resolution, respectively. The tRNA(Arg) RR-1660 helix crystallized in space group P1, with unit-cell parameters a = 26.28, b = 28.92, c = 29.00 angstrom, alpha = 105.74, beta = 99.01, gamma = 97.44 degrees, whereas the tRNA(Arg) RR-1662 helix crystallized in space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 33.18, b = 46.16, c = 26.04 angstrom, beta = 101.50 degrees.