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    Science. 2002 May 24;296(5572):1459-62.

    Pyrrolysine encoded by UAG in Archaea: charging of a UAG-decoding specialized tRNA.

    Source

    Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

    Abstract

    Pyrrolysine is a lysine derivative encoded by the UAG codon in methylamine methyltransferase genes of Methanosarcina barkeri. Near a methyltransferase gene cluster is the pylT gene, which encodes an unusual transfer RNA (tRNA) with a CUA anticodon. The adjacent pylS gene encodes a class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase that charges the pylT-derived tRNA with lysine but is not closely related to known lysyl-tRNA synthetases. Homologs of pylS and pylT are found in a Gram-positive bacterium. Charging a tRNA(CUA) with lysine is a likely first step in translating UAG amber codons as pyrrolysine in certain methanogens. Our results indicate that pyrrolysine is the 22nd genetically encoded natural amino acid.

    PMID:
    12029131
    [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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