An Appended Domain Results in an Unusual Architecture for Malaria Parasite Tryptophanyl-tRNA Synthetase.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Khan, Sameena; Garg, Ankur; Sharma, Arvind; Camacho, Noelia; Picchioni, Daria; Saint-Léger, Adélaïde; de Pouplana, Lluís Ribas; Yogavel, Manickam; Sharma, Amit
- Source
- PLoS ONE. Jun2013, Vol. 8 Issue 6, p1-11. 11p.
- Subject
- *PLASMODIUM
*TRYPTOPHANYL-tRNA synthetase
*AMINO acids
*CONFOCAL microscopy
*PROTEIN binding
*MONOMERS
- Language
- ISSN
- 1932-6203
Specific activation of amino acids by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) is essential for maintaining fidelity during protein translation. Here, we present crystal structure of malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (Pf-WRS) catalytic domain (AAD) at 2.6 Å resolution in complex with L-tryptophan. Confocal microscopy-based localization data suggest cytoplasmic residency of this protein. Pf-WRS has an unusual N-terminal extension of AlaX-like domain (AXD) along with linker regions which together seem vital for enzymatic activity and tRNA binding. Pf-WRS is not proteolytically processed in the parasites and therefore AXD likely provides tRNA binding capability rather than editing activity. The N-terminal domain containing AXD and linker region is monomeric and would result in an unusual overall architecture for Pf-WRS where the dimeric catalytic domains have monomeric AXDs on either side. Our PDB-wide comparative analyses of 47 WRS crystal structures also provide new mechanistic insights into this enzyme family in context conserved KMSKS loop conformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]