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. 2002 May 24;296(5572):1459-62.
doi: 10.1126/science.1069588.

Pyrrolysine encoded by UAG in Archaea: charging of a UAG-decoding specialized tRNA

Gayathri Srinivasan  1 , Carey M James, Joseph A Krzycki
Affiliations

Pyrrolysine encoded by UAG in Archaea: charging of a UAG-decoding specialized tRNA

Gayathri Srinivasan et al. Science. .

Abstract

Pyrrolysine is a lysine derivative encoded by the UAG codon in methylamine methyltransferase genes of Methanosarcina barkeri. Near a methyltransferase gene cluster is the pylT gene, which encodes an unusual transfer RNA (tRNA) with a CUA anticodon. The adjacent pylS gene encodes a class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase that charges the pylT-derived tRNA with lysine but is not closely related to known lysyl-tRNA synthetases. Homologs of pylS and pylT are found in a Gram-positive bacterium. Charging a tRNA(CUA) with lysine is a likely first step in translating UAG amber codons as pyrrolysine in certain methanogens. Our results indicate that pyrrolysine is the 22nd genetically encoded natural amino acid.

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Comment in

  • Biochemistry. The 22nd amino acid.
    Atkins JF, Gesteland R. Atkins JF, et al. Science. 2002 May 24;296(5572):1409-10. doi: 10.1126/science.1073339. Science. 2002. PMID: 12029118 No abstract available.

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