Partial methylation of two adjacent adenosines in ribosomes from Euglena gracilis chloroplasts suggests evolutionary loss of an intermediate stage in the methyl-transfer reaction.

Nucleic acids research ·Vol. 12 ·No. 23 ·1984-12-11 ·Pages 9205-8

Van Buul CP, Hamersma M, Visser W, Van Knippenberg PH

Abstract

Bacterial, cytoplasmic and organellar ribosomes from a wide phylogenetic spectrum of organisms have a characteristic m6(2)Am6(2)A structure near the 3' end of the RNA of the small ribosomal subunit (SSU). We have studied one of the few exceptions to this extremely conserved post-transcriptionally modified sequence, i.e. dimethylation of only one of the two A's in chloroplasts from Euglena gracilis. It was established that only the A closest to the 5' end is dimethylated, the other one being unmodified. The methylation reaction was studied in vitro using ribosomes from a kasugamycin resistant mutant (ksgA) of Escherichia coli and purified methyl-transferase. Using limited amounts of the methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) a partial level of methylation (50% of control) was attained. It is shown that in this case the 3' proximal A is dimethylated while the other is not. This suggests that dimethylation takes place in two successive stages. Apparently in E. gracilis chloroplasts the first stage of methylation does not occur.

MeSH Terms

Adenine/analogs & derivatives,analysis Adenosine/analysis Biological Evolution Chloroplasts/metabolism Cloacin Escherichia coli/genetics Euglena gracilis/genetics Methylation Methyltransferases/metabolism RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional RNA, Ribosomal/genetics Ribosomes/metabolism,ultrastructure

Chemicals

RNA, Ribosomal Cloacin N(6),N(6)-dimethyladenine Methyltransferases Adenine Adenosine

Authors & Affiliations

4 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID

Van Buul C P

Hamersma M

Visser W

Van Knippenberg P H

References (17)

17 references, click to expand

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Article Info

Journal

Nucleic acids research

Abbr.

Nucleic Acids Res

ISSN

0305-1048

DOI

10.1093/nar/12.23.9205

Published

1984-12-11

Pages

9205-8

Language

English

Region

England

NLM ID

0411011

PMCID

PMC320449

Subset

External Links

PubMed source DOI: 10.1093/nar/12.23.9205 PMC Full Text View journal details

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Partial methylation of two adjacent adenosines in ribosomes from Euglena gracilis chloroplasts suggests evolutionary loss of an intermediate stage in the methyl-transfer reaction.

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