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J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 281, Issue 42, 31430-31439, October 20, 2006

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Cross-species and Cross-compartmental Aminoacylation of Isoaccepting tRNAs by a Class II tRNA Synthetase^*

Hsiao-Yun Huang, Yu Kuei, Hen-Yi Chao, Shun-Jia Chen, Lu-Shu Yeh¹, and Chien-Chia Wang²

From the Department of Life Science, National Central University, Jung-li, Taiwan 32001 and Department of Life Science, Tzu-Chi University, Hua-lien, Taiwan 97041

It was previously shown that ALA1, the only alanyl-tRNA synthetase gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, codes for two functionally exclusive protein isoforms through alternative initiation at two consecutive ACG codons and an in-frame downstream AUG. We reported here the cloning and characterization of a homologous gene from Candida albicans. Functional assays show that this gene can substitute for both the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial functions of ALA1 in S. cerevisiae and codes for two distinct protein isoforms through alternative initiation from two in-frame AUG triplets 8-codons apart. Unexpectedly, although the short form acts exclusively in cytoplasm, the longer form provides function in both compartments. Similar observations are made in fractionation assays. Thus, the alanyl-tRNA synthetase gene of C. albicans has evolved an unusual pattern of translation initiation and protein partitioning and codes for protein isoforms that can aminoacylate isoaccepting tRNAs from a different species and from across cellular compartments.

Received for publication, February 27, 2006 , and in revised form, August 7, 2006.

^* This work was supported in part by National Science Council (Taiwan) Grant NSC 94-2311-B-008-009 (to C.-C. W.) and by Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council (Taiwan) Grant 94-2001-INER-EE-009 (to C.-C. W.). The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

¹ To whom correspondence may be addressed. Tel.: 886-3-856-5301 (ext. 7541); Fax: 886-3-857-2526; E-mail: susanyeh{at}mail.tcu.edu.tw. ²To whom correspondence may be addressed. Tel.: 886-3-426-0840; Fax: 886-3-422-8482; E-mail: dukewang{at}cc.ncu.edu.tw.

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