Identification of U^p47 in three thermophilic archaea, one mesophilic archaeon, and one hyperthermophilic bacterium

Abstract

Analysis of the profile of the tRNA modifications in several Archaea allowed us to observe a novel modified uridine in the V-loop of several tRNAs from two species: Pyrococcus furiosus and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Recently, Ohira and colleagues characterized 2′-phosphouridine (U^p) at position 47 in tRNAs of thermophilic Sulfurisphaera tokodaii, as well as in several other archaea and thermophilic bacteria. From the presence of the gene arkI corresponding to the RNA kinase responsible for U^p47 formation, they also concluded that U^p47 should be present in tRNAs of other thermophilic Archaea. Reanalysis of our earlier data confirms that the unidentified residue in tRNAs of both P. furiosus and S. acidocaldarius is indeed 2′-phosphouridine followed by m⁵C48. Moreover, we find this modification in several tRNAs of other Archaea and of the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus.