Anticodon Loop Modifications Enhance Oxidative Stress Recovery in Yeast

Abstract

"Across eukaryotic organisms, 2`-O methylations on the anticodon loops of tRNA molecules are widely conserved and crucial for efficient translation. The methyltransferase Trm7 interacts with the protein Trm732 to methylate nucleotide C32 and interacts with the protein Trm734 to methylate nucleotide G34 on tRNA phenylalanine. Yeast cells lacking both modifications are sick, but the presence of either modification causes a healthy phenotype. Oxidative stress caused by free radicals stimulates metabolic responses which upregulate the transcription of stress recovery genes. Previous research indicates that trm7Δ mutants and trm734Δ mutants have lowered resistance to oxidative stress. In this study,trm732Δ, trm734Δ and trm7Δ mutants showed lowered, yet comparable levels of oxidative stress resistance."