Translation initiation by using various N-acylaminoacyl tRNAs

• Published in: Nucleic Acids Symposium Series Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 293 - 294
• Main Authors: Goto, Yuki, Ashigai, Hiroshi, Sako, Yusuke, Murakami, Hiroshi, Suga, Hiroaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 01.11.2006
• ISSN: 0261-3166; 1746-8272
• DOI: 10.1093/nass/nrl146

Bioactive peptides isolated from natural sources have diverse acyl groups on the N-terminus. It is difficult to synthesize these peptides in vitro translation system because ribosomal peptide synthesis generally limits the N-terminal group to be N-formylmethionine (fMet). To overcome this restriction, we developed a novel methodology for the ribosomal synthesis of peptides having various terminal N-acyl groups with desired amino acids. In this methodology, two technologies, Flexizyme system consisting of artificial ribozymes and a reconstitute E. coli cell-free translation system (PURE system), were used. First, an amino acid carrying a desired N-acyl group was charged onto an initiation tRNA by the Flexizyme system. The addition of this N-acyl-aminoacyl-tRNA (N-acyl-aa-tRNA) to the PURE system allowed us to initiate the peptide synthesis with the designated N-acyl-amino acid. By means of this methodology, the translation was exclusively initiated by various N-terminal acyl groups as well as amino acids without contamination of N-formylmethionine.