Role of aIF1 in Pyrococcus abyssi translation initiation

Auriane Monestier (1) , Christine Lazennec-Schurdevin (1) , Pierre-Damien Coureux (1) , Yves Mechulam (1) , Emmanuelle Schmitt (1)

1 BIOC - Laboratoire de Biochimie de l'Ecole polytechnique

In archaeal translation initiation, a preinitiation complex (PIC) made up of aIF1, aIF1A, the ternary complex (TC, e/aIF2-GTP-Met-tRNA i Met) and mRNA bound to the small ribosomal subunit is responsible for start codon selection. Many archaeal mRNAs contain a Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence allowing the PIC to be prepositioned in the vicinity of the start codon. Nevertheless, cryo-EM studies have suggested local scanning to definitely establish base pairing of the start codon with the tRNA anticodon. Here, using flu-orescence anisotropy, we show that aIF1 and mRNA have synergistic binding to the Pyrococcus abyssi 30S. Stability of 30S:mRNA:aIF1 strongly depends on the SD sequence. Further, toeprinting experiments show that aIF1-containing PICs display a dynamic conformation with the tRNA not firmly accommodated in the P site. AIF1-induced destabilization of the PIC is favorable for proofreading erroneous initiation complexes. After aIF1 departure, the stability of the PIC increases reflecting initiator tRNA fully base-paired to the start codon. Altogether, our data support the idea that some of the main events governing start codon selection in eukaryotes and archaea occur within a common structural and functional core. However, idiosyncratic features in loop 1 sequence involved in 30S:mRNA binding suggest adjustments of e/aIF1 functioning in the two domains.

Domaines: Biologie moléculaire; Biologie cellulaire; Bio-Informatique, Biologie Systémique [q-bio.QM]; Cancer

Auriane Monestier, Christine Lazennec-Schurdevin, Pierre-Damien Coureux, Yves Mechulam, Emmanuelle Schmitt. Role of aIF1 in Pyrococcus abyssi translation initiation. Nucleic Acids Research, 2018, 46 (20), pp.11061-11074. ⟨10.1093/nar/gky850⟩. ⟨hal-01974980⟩