| Type: | Family | Name: | Phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase, class IIc, alpha subunit |
| Description: | The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (also known as aminoacyl-tRNA ligase) catalyse the attachment of an amino acid to its cognate transfer RNA molecule in a highly specific two-step reaction. These proteins differ widely in size and oligomeric state, and have limited sequence homology []. The 20 aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are divided into two classes, I and II. Class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases contain a characteristic Rossman fold catalytic domain and are mostly monomeric []. Class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases share an anti-parallel beta-sheet fold flanked by alpha-helices [], and are mostly dimeric or multimeric, containing at least three conserved regions [, , ]. However, tRNA binding involves an alpha-helical structure that is conserved between class I and class II synthetases. In reactions catalysed by the class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, the aminoacyl group is coupled to the 2'-hydroxyl of the tRNA, while, in class II reactions, the 3'-hydroxyl site is preferred. The synthetases specific for arginine, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, tyrosine, tryptophan and valine belong to class I synthetases. The synthetases specific for alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, glycine, histidine, lysine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, and threonine belong to class-II synthetases. Based on their mode of binding to the tRNA acceptor stem, both classes of tRNA synthetases have been subdivided into three subclasses, designated 1a, 1b, 1c and 2a, 2b, 2c.Phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase () is an alpha2/beta2 tetramer composed of 2 subunits that belongs to class IIc. In eubacteria, a small subunit (pheS gene) can be designated as beta (E. coli) or alpha subunit (nomenclature adopted in InterPro). Reciprocally the large subunit (pheT gene) can be designated as alpha (E. coli) or beta (see and ). In all other kingdoms the two subunits have equivalent length in eukaryota, and can be identified by specific signatures. The enzyme from Thermus thermophilushas an alpha 2 beta 2 type quaternary structure and is one of the most complicated members of the synthetase family. Identification of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase as a member of class II aaRSs was based only on sequence alignment of the small alpha-subunit with other synthetases [].This family describes the alpha subunit, which shows some similarity to class II aminoacyl-tRNA ligases. Mitochondrial phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase is a single polypeptide chain, active as a monomer, and similar to this chain rather than to the beta chain, but excluded from this family. | Short Name: | Phe-tRNA-synth_IIc_asu |
| GO Term | Gene Name |
|---|---|
| GO:0000166 | IPR004529 |
| GO:0004826 | IPR004529 |
| GO:0005524 | IPR004529 |
| GO:0006432 | IPR004529 |
| GO:0005737 | IPR004529 |
| GO Term | Gene Name |
|---|---|
| GO:0000166 | IPR004529 |
| GO:0004826 | IPR004529 |
| GO:0005524 | IPR004529 |
| GO:0006432 | IPR004529 |
| GO:0005737 | IPR004529 |
