The Bacillus subtilis ywbD gene encodes RlmQ, the 23S rRNA methyltransferase forming m7G2574 in the A-site of the peptidyl transferase center
- Philippe Wolff1,5,
- Geoffray Labar2,5,
- Antony Lechner1,
- Dany Van Elder3,
- Romuald Soin4,
- Cyril Gueydan4,
- Véronique Kruys4,
- Louis Droogmans3 and
- Martine Roovers2
- 1Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, F-67084 Strasbourg, France
- 2Labiris, B-1070 Bruxelles, Belgium
- 3Laboratoire de Chimie Biologique, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Labiris, B-1070 Bruxelles, Belgium
- 4Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire du Gène, Institut de Biologie et de Médecine Moléculaires, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
- Corresponding author: mroovers{at}spfb.brussels
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↵5 These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract
Ribosomal RNA contains many posttranscriptionally modified nucleosides, particularly in the functional parts of the ribosome. The distribution of these modifications varies from one organism to another. In Bacillus subtilis, the model organism for Gram-positive bacteria, mass spectrometry experiments revealed the presence of 7-methylguanosine (m7G) at position 2574 of the 23S rRNA, which lies in the A-site of the peptidyl transferase center of the large ribosomal subunit. Testing several m7G methyltransferase candidates allowed us to identify the RlmQ enzyme, encoded by the ywbD open reading frame, as the MTase responsible for this modification. The enzyme methylates free RNA and not ribosomal 50S or 70S particles, suggesting that modification occurs in the early steps of ribosome biogenesis.
Keywords
- Received October 2, 2023.
- Accepted December 3, 2023.
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