QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

Vol. 15, Issue 6, 2750-2757, June 2004

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: E03-11-0821v1 15/6/2750    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Crausaz Esseiva, A. Articles by Schneider, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Crausaz Esseiva, A. Articles by Schneider, A.

The T-Stem Determines the Cytosolic or Mitochondrial Localization of Trypanosomal tRNAs^Met

Anne Crausaz Esseiva ^*, Laurence Maréchal-Drouard , Anne Cosset , and André Schneider ^* 

^* Department of Biology/Zoology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Propre de Recherche 2357, Université Louis Pasteur, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France

Submitted November 17, 2003; Revised March 15, 2004; Accepted March 19, 2004
Monitoring Editor: Thomas Fox

The mitochondrion of Trypanosoma brucei lacks tRNA genes. Organellar translation therefore depends on import of cytosolic, nucleus-encoded tRNAs. Except for the cytosol-specific initiator tRNA^Met, all trypanosomal tRNAs function in both the cytosol and the mitochondrion. The initiator tRNA^Met is closely related to the imported elongator tRNA^Met. Thus, the distinct localization of the two tRNAs^Met must be specified by the 26 nucleotides, which differ between the two molecules. Using transgenic T. brucei cell lines and subsequent cell fractionation, we show that the T-stem is both required and sufficient to specify the localization of the tRNAs^Met. Furthermore, it was shown that the tRNA^Met T-stem localization determinants are also functional in the context of two other tRNAs. In vivo analysis of the modified nucleotides found in the initiator tRNA^Met indicates that the T-stem localization determinants do not require modified nucleotides. In contrast, import of native tRNAs^Met into isolated mitochondria suggests that nucleotide modifications might be involved in regulating the extent of import of elongator tRNA^Met.

Corresponding author. E-mail address: andre.schneider{at}unifr.ch.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Geslain, E. Aeby, T. Guitart, T. E. Jones, M. C. de Moura, F. Charriere, A. Schneider, and L. R. de Pouplana Trypanosoma Seryl-tRNA Synthetase Is a Metazoan-like Enzyme with High Affinity for tRNASec J. Biol. Chem., December 15, 2006; 281(50): 38217 - 38225. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Chatterjee, P. Home, S. Mukherjee, B. Mahata, S. Goswami, G. Dhar, and S. Adhya An RNA-binding Respiratory Component Mediates Import of Type II tRNAs into Leishmania Mitochondria J. Biol. Chem., September 1, 2006; 281(35): 25270 - 25277. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Charriere, T. H. P. Tan, and A. Schneider Mitochondrial Initiation Factor 2 of Trypanosoma brucei Binds Imported Formylated Elongator-type tRNAMet J. Biol. Chem., April 22, 2005; 280(16): 15659 - 15665. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. C. Esseiva, A. Naguleswaran, A. Hemphill, and A. Schneider Mitochondrial tRNA Import in Toxoplasma gondii J. Biol. Chem., October 8, 2004; 279(41): 42363 - 42368. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]