Critical minireview: The fate of tRNA^Cys during oxidative stress in Bacillus subtilis

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Juan Campo Guillen, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro; George Jones, Emory University; Carlos Saldaña Gutiérrez, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro; José Luis Hernández-Flores, Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada; Julio Alfonso Cruz Medina, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro; José Humberto Valenzuela Soto, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia Mexico; Sergio Pacheco Hernández, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro; Sergio Romero Gómez, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro; Verónica Morales Tlalpan, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro
• Language: English
• Date: 2017-03-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2017 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biom7010006
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Biomolecules
• ISSN: 2218-273X
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 6
• End Page: 6
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was partially financed by the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, México (project Fovin-UAQ, 2013, Clave 1299-Nue 3408 to J.C.G.).
• Keywords: bacillithiol; tRNA; Bacillus; oxidative stress
• Research Categories: Biology, General; Biology, Cell

Abstract

Oxidative stress occurs when cells are exposed to elevated levels of reactive oxygen species that can damage biological molecules. One bacterial response to oxidative stress involves disulfide bond formation either between protein thiols or between protein thiols and low-molecular-weight (LMW) thiols. Bacillithiol was recently identified as a major low-molecular-weight thiol in Bacillus subtilis and related Firmicutes. Four genes (bshA, bshB1, bshB2, and bshC) are involved in bacillithiol biosynthesis. The bshA and bshB1 genes are part of a seven-gene operon (ypjD), which includes the essential gene cca, encoding CCA-tRNA nucleotidyltransferase. The inclusion of cca in the operon containing bacillithiol biosynthetic genes suggests that the integrity of the 30 terminus of tRNAs may also be important in oxidative stress. The addition of the 30 terminal CCA sequence by CCA-tRNA nucleotidyltransferase to give rise to a mature tRNA and functional molecules ready for aminoacylation plays an essential role during translation and expression of the genetic code. Any defects in these processes, such as the accumulation of shorter and defective tRNAs under oxidative stress, might exert a deleterious effect on cells. This review summarizes the physiological link between tRNACys regulation and oxidative stress in Bacillus.