Aminoacyl transfer RNA formation. Binding of cations to transfer RNA and its role in aminoacyl transfer RNA formation.

The role of cations (polyamines and Mg2+) in isoleucyl-tRNA formation catalyzed by purified isolecuyl-tRNA synthetase [EC 6.1.1.5] from Escherichia coli was studied. It was found that spermine, spermidine, and Mg2+ bind to tRNA and that when bound to these cations, tRNA acts as substrate of aminoacylation without requiring further cations. These findings suggest that the primary function of cations in aminoacyl-tRNA formation is to bind to tRNA to stabilize its structure, not to bind to the enzyme to activate it.