In vitro O2′-methylation of sugars in E. coli RNA. III. Methylation of E. coli transfer RNA by heterologous methylases in particulate-free extracts of wheat embryo
(1) Transfer ribonucleates (tRNA) from a relaxed strain of E. coli have been methylated by homologous enzymes from E. coli and by heterologous enzymes from wheat embryo, using particulate-free extracts supplemented with [methyl-14C]-S-adenosylmethionine.(2) For both homologous and heterologous systems, the methylation of bases greatly exceeded the methylation of sugars, although the patterns of base and sugar methylation were radically different for homologous and heterologous methylations. Thus, the primary targets for homologous methylation were pyrimidine nucleosides: ribothymidine, the primary product of base methylation, and O2′-methylcytidine in the sequence CmpU, the primary product of sugar methylation. On the other hand, the primary targets for heterologous methylation were purine nucleosides: N2,N2-dimethylguanosine, the primary product of base methylation, and O2′-methylguanosine in the sequence GmpG, the primary product of sugar methylation.(3) The results of an allied study of the methylation of wheat embryo tRNA by homologous wheat embryo methylases and heterologous E. coli methylases have also been reported.