Method and composition for leucyl-trna synthetases and derivatives thereof that activate and aminoacylate non-leucine amino acid to trna adaptor molecules

Abstract

A method and composition for tRNA synthetases that activate and aminoacylate nonstandard and noncognate amino acids to tRNA adaptor molecules is described that can be used to generate custom designed protein products for uses in medicinal, therapeutic, diagnostic, biotechnology, engineering, and spectroscopy applications. Some tRNA synthetases naturally misactivate and misaminoacylate noncognate amino acids. Many of these tRNA synthetases, including but not limited to leucyl-, isoleucyl-, and valyl-tRNA synthetases, have evolved proofreading and editing mechanisms to correct these mistakes. Inactivation of the enzyme's editing activity allows and facilitates production and accumulation of tRNAs that are misaminoacylated with nonstandard and noncognate amino acids. These misaminoacylated tRNAs can be used to introduce novel amino acids into proteins.