Transfer RNA cross-linked to the elongation factor Tu subunit of Q beta replicase does not inhibit Q beta RNA replication.

One of the four subunits of bacteriophage Q beta RNA replicase is elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), the host aminoacyl-tRNA (AA-tRNA) binding protein. To determine whether the RNA polymerase activity requires the tRNA binding site of EF-Tu, we reconstituted replicase with EF-Tu . GTP covalently bound to AA-tRNA. This cross-linked ternary complex (XLTC) was formed by the reaction of N epsilon-bromoacetyl-Lys-tRNA with EF-Tu-GTP. In an EF-Tu-dependent system for the reconstitution of replicase, XLTC restored polymerase activity at least as well as an equivalent amount of EF-Tu. Replicase reconstituted with XLTC was resolved from replicase containing EF-Tu by chromatography on phosphocellulose, a result which confirmed that the tRNA moiety was incorporated into the enzyme. Chromatographic analysis of reconstitution mixtures revealed that XLTC was incorporated into replicase as extensively as EF-Tu. From these results, it appears that the AA-tRNA binding site on EF-Tu is not required for the assembly or activity of Q beta RNA replicase. Furthermore, because the tRNA macromolecule is cross-linked to His-66 of the EF-Tu, the region surrounding His-66 must normally be exposed on the surface of the replicase.