US-France Cooperative Research: New X-ray Techniques to Study Ligation State Changes in Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases

该奖项将支持查尔斯博士与 W.北卡罗来纳州查佩尔山大学的卡特博士和博士。 Charles Zelwer，Centre de Genetique Moleculaire，Gif-sur-Yvette， 法国 卡特博士和泽尔沃博士目前正在参与一个项目 关于氨酰-tRNA的三维结构 合成酶 他们的团队正在研究两种不同的酶 氨基酸：卡特博士对来自B的乙酰氨基酶的研究。 stearothermophilus和Zelwer博士对来自E. 杆菌 每个调查员都有不同的专业领域 具有数据收集和相位确定方法， 拟议的项目将受益于他们的组合 经验和资源。 在这个项目中，卡特博士和泽尔沃博士计划在以下方面进行合作： 实施和测试经验吸收方案 用于采集X射线强度数据的校正方法 三圆测角法和二维区域检测器; 2） 一系列天然和配体形式II的完整数据收集 甲硫氨酰-tRNA合成酶晶体; 3）收集高分辨率 来自一种形式的异氰酰酶的同步加速器数据，以及 4)来比较不同的 两种氨酰-tRNA合成酶的构象。 结果 这项研究将有助于我们了解 氨酰-tRNA合成酶;这些酶监督 遗传密码凭借其识别和 专门组装20种氨基酸及其 同源转移RNA分子。

This award will support collaborative research between Dr. Charles W. Carter, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Dr. Charles Zelwer, Centre de Genetique Moleculaire, Gif-sur-Yvette, France. Drs. Carter and Zelwer are presently involved in a project on the topic of three-dimensional structures of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Their groups are working on enzymes for two different amino acids: Dr. Carter on the tryptophanyl enzyme from B. stearothermophilus and Dr. Zelwer on the methionyl enzyme from E. coli. The investigators each have different areas of expertise with data collection and phase determination methods and the proposed project will benefit from a combination of their experiences and resources. In this project, Drs. Carter and Zelwer plan 1) to cooperate on implementing and testing programs for an empirical absorption correction method for use in collected X-ray intensity data using three-circle goniometry and a two-dimensional area detector; 2) to complete data collection on a series of native and liganded form II methionyl-tRNA synthetase crystals; 3) to collect high resolution synchrotron data from one form of the tryptophanyl enzyme, and 4) to compare differences and similarities between different conformations of the two aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. The results of this research will contribute to our understanding of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases; these enzymes supervise translation of the genetic code by virtue of their ability to recognize and assemble specifically the twenty amino acids and their cognatetransfer RNA molecules.