Discovery of multi-site specific tRNA methyltransferase (Trm1) and its structural and functional studies

T. Awai, S. Kimura, C. Tomikawa, A. Ochi, Ihsanawati, Y. Bessho, S. Yokoyama, S. Ohno, K. Nishikawa, T. Yokogawa, T. Suzuki, and H. Hori,
“Aquifex aeolicus tRNA (N2, N2-guanine)-dimethyltransferase (Trm1) catalyzes transfer of methyl groups not only to guanine 26 but also to guanine 27 in tRNA.”
J. Biol. Chem. 284, 20467-20478 (2009)

T. Awai, A. Ochi, Ihsanawati, T. Sengoku, A. Hirata, Y. Bessho, S. Yokoyama, and H. Hori,
“Substrate tRNA recognition mechanism of a multi-site-specific tRNA methyltransferase, Aquifex aeolicus Trm1, based on the X-ray crystal structure”
J. Biol. Chem. 286, 35236-35246 (2011)

We found the novel multi-site specific tRNA methyltransferase and determined the X-ray crystal structure.
Our structure-based biochemical study suggested the hypothetical reaction mechanism and clarified the tRNA binding manner.