[Influence of the structure of photoreactive ATP analogs on the affinity modification of phenylalanyl-tRNA synsthetase. Modification of the enzyme at two types of nucleotide sites].

ATP gamma-(p-azidoanilidate) (1) and ATP gamma-(p-azidobenzyl)-methylanilidate (2) were shown to be competitive inhibitors for ATP and amino acid in tRNA aminoacylation catalyzed by E. coli MRE-600 phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (E.C.6.1.1.20). Low concentration (10(-5)--10(-6) M) of either ATP, gamma-anilidate or GMP stimulates the aminoacylation of tRNA suggesting their interaction with some nucleotide binding sites of the enzyme other than catalytic ones. Covalent photobinding of (1) to the enzyme does not inhibit aminoacylation, nor does it prevent nucleotides from activating the enzyme. UV-irradiation of the synthetase in the presence of (2) results in complete inactivation of the enzyme which can be prevented by phenylalanine or phenylalanine-ATP to save 50% of the enzyme activity but not ATP and tRNA. The photobinding of (2) to the enzyme in the presence of phenylalanine and ATP removes the activation of the enzyme by nucleotides suggesting that both the catalytic and effector sites of the synthetase are blocked in the same manner by compound (2).