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Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| ABSTRACT |
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Keywords: G-ribo wrench; G-ribo ring; ribosome structure; RNA recurrent motif; RNA structure
| INTRODUCTION |
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In this paper, we show that G-ribo, a recently described RNA structural motif that pertains to a particular side-by-side arrangement of two double helices (Steinberg and Boutorine 2007
), mediates the formation of four different pseudoknots in the ribosomal RNA. Analysis of these cases reveals two aspects of the G-ribo motif that together determine the structural context favoring the pseudoknot formation. Both aspects facilitate the switches of the polynucleotide chain between different strands at the core of the pseudoknot structure. One aspect pertains to the specific juxtaposition of two double helices within the G-ribo motif, while the other one deals with the presence of an adenosine that can stabilize the particular arrangement of two quasicoaxial double helices. This adenosine stacks on top of one helix and forms an A-minor interaction with the last base pair of the other helix. Because almost identical arrangement is found in other pseudoknots not related to the G-ribo motif, its presence is thus considered an important factor promoting the formation of different pseudoknots.
| RESULTS |
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Chain break in strand P
As mentioned above, the interactions that keep the particular juxtaposition of Helices 1 and 2 within the G-ribo motif are spread over three layers between + 1 and 1. Below layer 1, the helices become completely separated, which presumes that no elements specific to the G-ribo motif exist in this zone. However, at layer 2, most G-ribo motifs share a new unusual element. In particular, we noticed that in five motifs there is a break in strand P between positions 1P and 2P, so that the two positions become separated in the polynucleotide chain by at least a dozen nucleotides, and in some cases, by hundreds of nucleotides (Fig. 2; Supplemental Fig. 2). Unlike strand P, strand Q in all G-ribo motifs continues between layers 1 and 2 without interruption. The presence of a noninterrupted Q strand allows Helix 1 to continue below layer 1, while the break of the chain in strand P provides new opportunities for connections between different strands of the G-ribo motif. Further analysis showed that in all five cases of the G-ribo motif where positions 1P and 2P are distant from each other in the polynucleotide chain, 1P is connected to a nucleotide of a lower layer of strand Q, while 2P is connected to a nucleotide of either strand Q or S. Each of the two types of the 2P connection corresponds to a particular type of pseudoknot.
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Analysis of the L1024 G-ribo wrench revealed additional details of its tertiary structure relevant for the pseudoknot formation. Thus, compared to the standard A-RNA conformation, base pair [ 2P; 2Q] is substantially displaced with respect to base pair [ 1P; 1Q] (Fig. 3A,B). The displacement can be represented as a combination of a rotation around atom O3' of nucleotide 2Q for about 50° and of an additional translation for about 4 Å. For 2Q, the total displacement is about 5 Å, which allows this nucleotide to maintain its stacking to 1Q. Nucleotide 2P, however, has moved for > 10 Å and has lost all its contacts with 1P. Such a movement of base pair [ 2P; 2Q] brings it closer to Helix 2, thus allowing the two consecutive nucleotides 7S (U1004) and 2P (C1005) to be simultaneously involved in base pairing within the two different Helices 1 and 2. Needless to say, this movement has become possible due to the absence of the covalent link between 1P and 2P.
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On the level of the tertiary structure, the L1024 G-ribo wrench represents a compact globular domain with dimensions 26 Å x 34 Å x 38 Å attached to the rest of Helix 2 (Supplemental Fig. 3A). The compactness of the G-ribo wrench and its saturation with secondary and tertiary interactions suggests that it is stable on its own and can form independently of the rest of the ribosome structure.
Wrench pseudoknot in S861
Another wrench pseudoknot with a very similar structure is associated with motif S861 (Fig. 2C; Supplemental Fig. 2B). The most essential difference of S861 from L1024 pertains to the length of the pseudoknot bulge, which contains 5 nt instead of six. The superposition of the S861 structure with that of L1024 identifies the missing nucleotide as 4P, which leaves the duplex between strand Q and the pseudoknot bulge with only two base pairs. Other differences of S861 from L1024 deal with the absence of the long insertion between positions 1P and 3Q and with the presence of long insertions between + 1S and + 1P and between 6S and 5S. None of these insertions is relevant to the structure of the S861 pseudoknot. Nucleotide U820 in S861, the last one in the insertion between 6S and 5S, is equivalent to 5Sa in L1024: it occupies the same position just before 5S and has the same uridine identity. It also forms a Hoogsteen base pair with adenosine 1T and stacks to the ribose of 2P (Fig. 3C).
The superposition of the structures of the L1024 and S861 pseudoknots demonstrates a very strong similarity over 11 layers from + 1 to 9, i.e., until the end of Helix 2 in both motifs (Supplemental Fig. 3B).
Wrench pseudoknot in S521
Within the ribosome structure, there is one more wrench pseudoknot that associates with motif S521 (Fig. 2D; Supplemental Fig. 2C). In this pseudoknot, like in L1024, the pseudoknot bulge contains 6 nt and forms three base pairs with strand Q. Unlike L1024 and S861, S521 does not contain any long insertion and is thus built of only one piece of 16S rRNA between nucleotides 502 and 543.
Some aspects of the structure of the S521 pseudoknot make it different from those of L1024 and S861. In particular, the pseudoknot bulge in S521 is inserted between positions 4S and 5S of the S strand, rather than between 6S and 7S. Also, the last two adenosines of the pseudoknot bulge form the A-minor interactions with base pairs U543A502 and G542C503, which occupy, respectively, layers 7 and 6 of Helix 2, and not 9 and 8. In other words, in S521, compared to L1024 and S861, the position of the pseudoknot bulge in strand S as well as of the A-minor interactions between the pseudoknot bulge and Helix 2 is shifted for two layers up. Analysis shows that due to this shift, Helices 1 and 2 in S521 become displaced with respect to each other for a few angstroms compared to their juxtaposition in L1024 and S861 (not shown). As a result, pseudoknot S521 is superposable with neither L1024 nor S861, although it is still very close to both these structures.
Another difference between the S521 pseudoknot and those of L1024 and S861, which seems to be linked to the displacement of the pseudoknot bulge, consists in the absence of the bulged nucleotide 5Sa. Indeed, due to the new position of the pseudoknot bulge, its interaction with strand Q would have interfered with the formation of base pair [ 5Sa; 1T]. Interestingly, the S521 pseudoknot contains another unusual element, a second nucleotide in the T-bulge immediately before 1T (nucleotide 1Ta [U534]; Fig. 2D), the presence of which could compensate for the absence of uridine 5Sa. Like 5Sa, nucleotide 1Ta stacks to the ribose of 2P, and thus would stabilize the position of the latter in the situation when 5Sa does not exist due to the displacement of the pseudoknot bulge (Fig. 3D).
Analysis of the available nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA (Wuyts et al. 2004
) showed that in archaea, unlike in bacteria, the pseudoknot bulge of S521 is integrated into the S-stem between positions 3S and 4S and contains either 7 or 8 nt (Supplemental Fig. 4). However, our preliminary data show that such modifications are local and do not affect the global pseudoknot conformation.
Ring pseudoknot
In the ribosomal RNA, there is another G-ribo-based pseudoknot whose structure, however, is essentially different from that of the wrench pseudoknots. This new pseudoknot is built of fragment 22832389 of 23S rRNA and is based on a specific arrangement of three consecutive double helices 82, 83, and 85 of the 23S rRNA secondary structure. The juxtaposition of helices 82 and 83 and of helices 83 and 85 is mediated by G-ribo motifs L2383 and L2323, respectively (Fig. 2E; Supplemental Fig. 2D). The whole arrangement is stabilized by the kissing interaction between the unpaired region adjacent to Helix 82 and the loop-closing Helix 85. This kissing interaction constitutes a pseudoknot. The four double helical regions, i.e., Helices 82, 83, 85, and the kissing helix, together form a circular almost ideally symmetric structure, which we call the G-ribo ring. In three dimensions, this structure looks like a compact disk of
40 Å in diameter and 20 Å in width (Supplemental Fig. 3C).
In the secondary structure of the G-ribo ring, the P and R stems of L2323 become, respectively, the Q and S stems of L2383 and vice versa. In both motifs, as in those forming the wrench pseudoknots, the P strand is interrupted between positions 1P and 2P. However, unlike in G-ribo wrenches, in both motifs L2323 and L2383, nucleotides 1P and 2P are directly connected to nucleotides 8Q and 9Q, respectively. Due to the symmetry of the arrangement, positions 1P and 2P in one motif become, respectively, positions 9Q and 8Q in the other motif. Correspondingly, the connection between 1P and 8Q in L2323 becomes the connection between 2P and 9Q in L2383 and vice versa. For the kissing double helix, each G-ribo motif donates its Q strand, which would form a double helix with the P strand provided by the other G-ribo motif. If one determines the length of each helix as the number of layers from the zero layer in one G-ribo motif to the zero layer in the other motif, Helices 1 and 2 contain 11 and 7 layers, respectively.
The ability of the G-ribo ring to form the kissing helix depends on the complementarity of the kissing regions and on their proper juxtaposition. The latter, in turn, depends on the structure of all elements between the kissing regions all along the G-ribo ring, which would together guarantee that these regions become proximal to each other in the orientation prone for the formation of a double helix. Analysis shows that within the G-ribo ring, there are four elements whose structure has been tuned in order to reach the proper juxtaposition of the kissing regions. Because both motifs L2323 and L2383 are rigidly attached to Helix 2, their juxtaposition strongly depends on its length. A deletion or an insertion of a base pair in Helix 2 would displace one kissing region with respect to the other for
15 Å, which makes manipulations with the length of Helix 2 an effective but rather rough exercise, and may require an additional smoother tuning in other parts of the G-ribo ring. Such a tuning is provided through the displacement between base pairs [ 2P; 2Q] and [ 1P; 1Q] in both motifs L2323 and L2383 (Fig. 3E,F). In these motifs, like in those forming the wrench arrangements, the chain break between positions 1P and 2P allows a displacement of base pair [ 2P; 2Q] with respect to [ 1P; 1Q] to the extent that 2P becomes stacked to 1T. This displacement facilitates the formation of the kissing helix between the 1 layers of both G-ribo motifs. Compared to the wrench arrangements, the displacement of base pair [ 2P; 2Q] in motifs L2323 and L2383 is smaller, which indicates the existence of some flexibility in this region. This flexibility allows the juxtaposition of base pairs [ 1P; 1Q] and [ 2P; 2Q] to be tuned to the requirements imposed by the particular type of pseudoknot.
The structure of the G-ribo ring demonstrates that with a proper choice of the length of Helix 2 and of the juxtapositions of base pairs [ 2P; 2Q] and [ 1P; 1Q] in both motifs L2323 and L2383 the two kissing regions can be brought close to each other. It may, however, be more difficult to achieve an arrangement in which Helix 85, the kissing helix, and Helix 82 form together a coaxially stacked domain. As one can see in Figure 2E, there is mismatch A2327A2388 in the middle of the kissing double helix. In the tertiary structure, the two adenosines, instead of forming a base pair, occupy neighboring layers and stack to each other. The presence of an unpaired region in the middle of the kissing helix provides an additional flexibility to the latter, which allows the formation of a bend for about 65° between A2388 and base pair A2326U2389 (Supplemental Fig. 3C). Without such a bend, the closure of the G-ribo ring seems to be essentially more difficult if possible at all, even though the kissing loops remain proximal to each other due to the proper choice of the other aspects discussed above. The bend in the kissing helix is stabilized by the A-minor interactions (Doherty et al. 2001
; Nissen et al. 2001
) of the two adenosines A2327A2388 with Helix 81 of 23S rRNA (not shown). This interaction constitutes the only contact made by an element of the G-ribo ring with the rest of 23S rRNA. As in the case of the G-ribo wrenches, the compactness of the G-ribo ring and its saturation with secondary and tertiary interactions suggest that it can be stable independently of other parts of the ribosome.
Evolutionary conservation of the G-ribo-based pseudoknots
All identified G-ribo-based pseudoknots are present in the ribosomes of all prokaryotic organisms. This conclusion is based on the following observations. First, all four pseudoknots discussed here had been predicted as universal secondary structure elements based on comparative analysis of the nucleotide sequences of bacterial and archaeal ribosomal RNA long before the elucidation of the ribosome tertiary structure (Gutell et al. 1994
). We now know that these pseudoknots are formed with the help of the G-ribo motif, all examples of which within the ribosome were recently shown to be highly conserved in all prokaryotes (Steinberg and Boutorine 2007
).
The structures of the pseudoknots are also highly conserved. Analysis of the available nucleotide sequences of ribosomal RNA (Wuyts et al. 2004
) shows that except for the above-mentioned variation in the S521 pseudoknot between bacteria (Fig. 2D; Supplemental Fig. 2C) and archaea (Supplemental Fig. 4) the secondary structures of all other pseudoknots are the same in all prokaryotic organisms. Also, all G-ribo-based pseudoknots have virtually identical conformations in all available high-resolution structures of the ribosome and of its subunits (Schluenzen et al. 2000
; Wimberly et al. 2000
; Harms et al. 2001
; Nissen et al. 2001
; Schuwirth et al. 2005
; Korostelev et al. 2006
; Selmer et al. 2006
), including that of the archaeal 50S subunit (Nissen et al. 2001
).
The level of conservation of some tertiary elements of the pseudoknot structure also deserves mentioning (Supplemental Table 1). Thus, in all G-ribo motifs, the predominant identity of nucleotide 1T is adenosine (Wuyts et al. 2004
). However, for different G-ribo motifs, the level of conservation varies between 54% and 100%. Only in the three motifs corresponding to the G-ribo wrenches this level is approaching or equal to 100%. So a high level of conservation is understandable in view of the special role played by 1T in providing a strong displacement of base pair [ 2P; 2Q] with respect to [ 1P; 1Q] observed in the wrench pseudoknots.
Uridine in position 5Sa exists in almost 100% of all prokaryotic sequences of S861, while in L1024, it is conserved only in archaea. In bacteria, on the contrary, position 5Sa in L1024 is occupied by uridine only in 87.5% of the cases, while in 9% of the sequences nucleotide 5Sa is cytidine. The cytidine identity of 5Sa allows this nucleotide to form the Hoogsteen base pair with adenosine 1T, which would be rather similar to the Hoogsteen UA base pair formed if 5Sa is uridine. Compared to the uridine 5Sa in L1024 and S861, the uridine 1Ta in S521 is less conserved, which reflects the fact that this nucleotide, unlike 5Sa, is not involved in formation of specific hydrogen bonds with 1T, so that the constraints imposed on its identity can be less restrictive.
In the G-ribo motifs composing the G-ribo ring, the identity of 1T is less restricted to adenosine than in the G-ribo wrenches, seemingly, because of a smaller displacement of base pair [ 2P; 2Q], which does not require that the interaction between 2P and 1T be very stable, and also because of the absence of specific interactions equivalent to that between 1T and 5Sa in L1024 and S861. Another element of the structure of the G-ribo ring built of adenosines A2327A2388 is conserved at the level of 100% both in bacteria and archaea, reflecting its pivotal role in the whole arrangement.
To conclude, not only all G-ribo-based pseudoknots are highly conserved, but also conserved are the structural elements important for their formation. Deviations from the predominant identities are allowed only for those elements whose variation does not compromise the integrity of the arrangements.
| DISCUSSION |
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The particular juxtaposition of Helices 1 and 2 within the G-ribo motif is not, however, the only feature of its structure that may be relevant for the pseudoknot formation: all G-ribo-based pseudoknots contain a chain break between positions 1P and 2P. In the G-ribo ring, even the second chain break between positions 8Q and 9Q is, in fact, one between 1P and 2P, if the second G-ribo motif is taken as a reference point. Such a universal position of this chain break is rather surprising, given that the wrench and ring pseudoknots in many aspects are very different.
An important aspect of the chain break between 1P and 2P is that it allows an additional tuning in the position of the lower part of Helix 1, thus facilitating the other reconnections of the polynucleotide chain between the strands. Although this tuning is important for pseudoknot formation, it cannot explain the universal position of the break between 1P and 2P, because a break between 0P and 1P or between 2P and 3P would allow similar movements of Helix 1 toward Helix 2. The uniqueness of the break between 1P and 2P seems to be linked to the presence of adenosine 1T, the interaction with which would favor the displacement of nucleotide 2P. Thus, the particular location of nucleotide 1T and its openness for interaction with a nucleotide of layer 2 would favor the formation of arrangements with a chain break between 1P and 2P and with a displacement of nucleotide 2P toward Helix 2.
While nucleotide 2P stacks to 1T, its position still remains flexible and can adapt to the requirements of the particular type of pseudoknot. However, the stacking with 1T per se suffices the promotion of only a relatively mild displacement of 2P like that present in the G-ribo ring. For a stronger displacement observed in the G-ribo wrenches, an additional stabilization of the 2P position through the contact of its ribose with either 5Sa or 1Ta is required.
Finally, we would like to compare the G-ribo-based pseudoknots with other known pseudoknots. Our inspection of different RNA structures showed that the particular arrangement of base pairs [ 1P; 1Q] and [ 2P; 2Q] stabilized by adenosine 1T, which is at the core of all four pseudoknots discussed in this paper, exists also in other pseudoknots, unrelated to the G-ribo motif, both in and outside the ribosome (Supplemental Fig. 5). We can thus conclude that this arrangement, which facilitates the particular type of chain switch between two quasicoaxial double helices, is an essential part of the structural contexts favoring the formation of different kinds of pseudoknots. From this point of view, the G-ribo motif represents a particular way of the polynucleotide chain arrangement around the central part that would provide for a compact and stable structure suited to a particular function.
| SUPPLEMENTAL DATA |
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| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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| Footnotes |
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Article published online ahead of print. Article and publication date are at http://www.rnajournal.org/cgi/doi/10.1261/rna.495207.
Received February 6, 2007; accepted April 17, 2007.
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