Kti12 sup­ports Elonga­tor de­pen­dent wob­b­le uri­di­ne mo­di­fi­ca­ti­ons

In eukaryotes, Kti12 enables carboxymethylation (cm5) of transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNA) carried out by the Elongator complex. The modification is located inside the anticodon of tRNA and supports correct translation via improved base pairing during decoding of messenger RNA (mRNA). Hence, the Elongator proved to be essential in higher eukaryotes and dysfunctionalities have been associated with distinct diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and cancer. Surprisingly, activity of the tRNA modifier has been found to be dependent on the accessory protein Kti12 for yet unclarified reasons. We investigate Kti12 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, baker´s yeast, in order to understand its supportive function regarding the Elongator complex. Ultimately, our findings could help to support future research on therapeutic measurements in order to cure Elongator associated disease in human.

animated GIF showing Kti12 with tRNA
Model of yeast Kti12 during tRNA induced ATP hydrolysis