Tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase from beef pancreas. Spectroscopic analysis of the stoichiometry of formation of the enzyme-tryptophanyl-adenylate complex.

The dimeric enzyme tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase from beef pancreas catalyses the stoichiometric formation of one mole of tryptophanyl-adenylate per subunit. This formation is associated with optical changes (absorbance, fluorescence, optical rotation) and is confirmed by analytical ultracentrifugation. An equal amplitude of the change is observed for each adenylation site at pH 8.0, 25 degrees C, regardless of the optical method used. The formation of two tryptophanyl adenylates per dimer corresponds to a molar absorbance change delta epsilon 291 = 12000 +/- 500 cm-1 M-1, to a fluorescence quenching of 24 per cent at 340 nm and to a variation in optical rotation of 6 per cent at 313 nm. The circular dichroic band of the adenosine moiety of ATP is strongly increased. The addition of sodium pyrophosphate to the tryptophanyl-adenylate-enzyme complex restores the absorbance and fluorescence amplitude observed prior to the addition of ATP to the enzyme. Magnesium ions are necessary to the reaction. A pertubation of the environment of both the protein and the substrates (tryptophan and ATP) have to be taken into account to explain the magnitude of the observed changes.