RImN and Cfr are Radical SAM Enzymes Involved in Methylation of Ribosomal RNA

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja910850y

Posttranscriptional modifications of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) nucleotides are a common mechanism of modulating the ribosome's function and conferring bacterial resistance to ribosome-targeting antibiotics. One such modification is methylation of an adenosine nucleotide within the peptidyl transferase center of the ribosome mediated by the endogenous methyltransferase RImN and its evolutionarily related resistance enzyme Cfr. These methyltransferases catalyze methyl transfer to aromatic carbon atoms of the adenosine within a complex 23S rRNA substrate to form the 2,8-dimethylated product. RImN and Cfr are members of the Radical SAM superfamily and contain the characteristic cysteine-rich CX₃CX₂C motif. We demonstrate that both enzymes are capable of accommodating the requisite [4Fe-4S] cluster. S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) is both the methyl donor and the source of a 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical, which activates the substrate for methylation. Detailed analyses of the rRNA requirements show that the enzymes can utilize proteinfree 23S rRNA as a substrate, but not the fully assembled large ribosomal subunit, suggesting that the methylations take place during the assembly of the ribosome. The key recognition elements in the 23S rRNA are helices 90-92 and the adjacent single stranded RNA that encompasses A2503. To our knowledge, this study represents the first in vitro description of a methyl transfer catalyzed by a member of the Radical SAM superfamily, and it expands the catalytic repertoire of this diverse enzyme class. Furthermore, by providing information on both the timing of methylation and its substrate requirements, our findings have important implications for the functional consequences of Cfr-mediated modification of rRNA in the acquisition of antibiotic resistance.

Full text of DOI:10.1021/ja910850y

Published on Web 02/25/2010
RlmN and Cfr are Radical SAM Enzymes Involved in
Methylation of Ribosomal RNA
Feng Yan,† Jacqueline M. LaMarre,‡ Rene Ro¨hrich,§ Jochen Wiesner,§
Hassan Jomaa,§ Alexander S. Mankin,*,‡ and Danica Galonic´ Fujimori*,†
Departments of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, UniVersity of
California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94158, Center for
Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, m/c 870, UniVersity of Illinois, 900 South Ashland AVenue, Chicago,
Illinois 60607, and Institut fu¨r Klinische Immunologie and Transfusionsmedizin,
Justus-Liebig-UniVersita¨t Giessen, Langhansstrasse 7, 35385 Giessen, Germany
Received December 23, 2009; E-mail: fujimori@cmp.ucsf.edu (D.G.F.); shura@uic.edu (A.S.M.)
Abstract: Posttranscriptional modifications of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) nucleotides are a common mechanism
of modulating the ribosome’s function and conferring bacterial resistance to ribosome-targeting antibiotics.
One such modification is methylation of an adenosine nucleotide within the peptidyl transferase center of
the ribosome mediated by the endogenous methyltransferase RlmN and its evolutionarily related resistance
enzyme Cfr. These methyltransferases catalyze methyl transfer to aromatic carbon atoms of the adenosine
within a complex 23S rRNA substrate to form the 2,8-dimethylated product. RlmN and Cfr are members of
the Radical SAM superfamily and contain the characteristic cysteine-rich CX3CX2C motif. We demonstrate
that both enzymes are capable of accommodating the requisite [4Fe-4S] cluster. S-Adenosylmethionine
(SAM) is both the methyl donor and the source of a 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical, which activates the substrate
for methylation. Detailed analyses of the rRNA requirements show that the enzymes can utilize protein-
free 23S rRNA as a substrate, but not the fully assembled large ribosomal subunit, suggesting that the
methylations take place during the assembly of the ribosome. The key recognition elements in the 23S
rRNA are helices 90-92 and the adjacent single stranded RNA that encompasses A2503. To our knowledge,
this study represents the first in vitro description of a methyl transfer catalyzed by a member of the Radical
SAM superfamily, and it expands the catalytic repertoire of this diverse enzyme class. Furthermore, by
providing information on both the timing of methylation and its substrate requirements, our findings have
important implications for the functional consequences of Cfr-mediated modification of rRNA in the acquisition
of antibiotic resistance.
bacterial large ribosomal subunit.5 Such modification renders
cells resistant to several important classes of ribosomal antibiot-
Introduction
The bacterial ribosome, composed of ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
and ribosomal proteins, is a target of many clinically useful
antibiotics.1,2 The rRNA is the key functional and structural
component of the ribosome. Most of the protein synthesis
inhibitors that interfere with the functions of the ribosome
interact with rRNA and establish immediate contacts with
nucleotides. One of the main mechanisms that renders bacterial
pathogens resistant to ribosome-targeting drugs is the acquisition
of rRNA methyltransferases which modify specific nucleotide
residues located in antibiotic binding sites. The recently
described Cfr methyltransferase belongs to this class of
enzymes.3,4 Evidence obtained in in ViVo studies indicates that
Cfr methylates the C8 atom of A2503 of 23S rRNA (E. coli
numbering), located in the peptidyl transferase center of the
ics that act upon the peptidyl transferase center, including
phenicols, pleuromutilins, streptogramins A, lincosamides, and
the recently developed oxazolidinones.3,4,6,7 The recent discov-
ery of the cfr gene in a hospital isolate of Staphylococcus aureus,
where it is present on mobile genetic elements,8 raises the
possibility of its rapid spread among human pathogens. The
spread of cfr-based resistance may compromise several key
antibiotics, including the oxazolidinone linezolid, which is often
used as the last line of defense against multidrug-resistant
bacterial infections.9,10 The drug resistant methyltransferase Cfr
is a close homologue of a methyltransferase RlmN.11 RlmN is
an endogenous cellular enzyme which modifies the same
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† University of California, San Francisco.
‡ University of Illinois.
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§ Justus-Liebig-Universita¨t Giessen.
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10.1021/ja910850y  2010 American Chemical Society
J. AM. CHEM. SOC. 2010, 132, 3953–3964 3953

A R T I C L E S
Yan et al.
Scheme 1. Formation of a 5′-Deoxyadenosyl Radical via a Reductive Cleavage of S-Adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)
nucleotide (A2503), but at the C2 atom of the adenine base.
Such ‘native’ posttranscriptional modifications of rRNA residues
are presumed to play an important role in modulating and
optimizing ribosomal function, although the precise roles of most
modifications, including the RlmN-mediated C2 methylation of
A2503, remain largely obscure.11,12
RlmN and Cfr belong to the Radical SAM superfamily, which
is characterized by the presence of the cysteine-rich CX3CX2C
motif.15-18 Enzymes belonging to the Radical SAM superfamily
use this motif to ligate a unique four iron-four sulfur cluster
(4Fe-4S), which, upon reduction to the +1 oxidation state,
donates one electron to the bound SAM, leading to the formation
of a 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical (5′-dA•) and methionine (Scheme
1). The resulting 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical is a potent oxidant
which then initiates a radical transformation by performing
hydrogen atom abstraction from its substrate. Subsequent
catalytic steps, specific to the given Radical SAM enzyme, result
in a variety of outcomes such as amine shifts (lysine
aminomutases),19-23 nucleotide reduction (ribonucleoside triph-
osphate reductase III),24-26 sulfur insertion (biotin synthase,
lipoyl synthase),27-32 oxidative decarboxylation (coproporphy-
rinogen oxidase),33-35 methylthiolation,36-39 and complex rear-
Nothing is known about the substrate requirement of these
two enzymes. Yet knowledge of the substrate at which these
enzymes act may have a critical impact on understanding the
functional consequences of their actions. The rRNA-modifying
enzymes can act at different steps of ribosome assembly. Some
enzymes can modify fully assembled ribosomal subunits.13,14
Others catalyze the rRNA modification only during ribosome
assembly because the target site of their action becomes
sequestered in the mature ribosome. Thus the extent of rRNA
modification may be dramatically influenced by the mode of
action of the enzyme and the rate of ribosome assembly.
Modulating the degree of the rRNA modification could be used
as an epigenetic mechanism of control of gene expression. On
the other hand, the extent of antibiotic resistance conferred by
rRNA modification should critically depend on the fraction of
cellular ribosomes which has undergone modification by the
resistance enzyme. Since the kinetics of ribosome assembly are
affected by many antibiotics, understanding the nature of the
substrate upon which the resistance rRNA methyltransferase acts
may guide the antibiotic treatment regimens.
RlmN and Cfr represent an intriguing pair of evolutionarily
related rRNA modifying enzymes with completely different
functions: one (RlmN) is an endogenous enzyme used by the
cell to refine functions of the ribosome in protein synthesis,
and the other (Cfr) is an acquired methyltransferase that protects
cells from the action of antibiotics. Besides the important
biological functions of the two enzymes, the enzymatic mech-
anisms which are thought to be used by these methyltransferases
squarely place RlmN and Cfr among the most interesting types
of RNA-modifying enzymes. Most of the enzymes which
methylate cellular RNA targets use S-adenosylmethionine
(SAM) as a donor of electrophilic methyl groups to methylate
nucleophilic oxygen atoms within the ribose moieties or nitrogen
atoms within RNA nucleotide bases. RlmN and Cfr are unique
as they perform enzymatically unprecedented methyl transfer
to sp2-hybridized carbon atoms of an adenosine nucleotide.
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3954 J. AM. CHEM. SOC. VOL. 132, NO. 11, 2010

RlmN and Cfr: Radical SAM Methyltransferases
A R T I C L E S
rangements,40 among others. Overall, members of this super-
family participate in more than 40 distinct biochemical
transformations,16 and the full catalogue of functions carried
out by these enzymes is yet to be determined.
that was incidentally generated during the cloning procedure was
corrected by site-directed mutagenesis using the QuikChange XL
Site-Directed Mutagenesis Kit (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA). The Cfr
protein expressed from the resulting construct, pET15b-cfr, is
N-terminally His6-tagged.
Despite the importance of RlmN in modulating protein
synthesis and Cfr in the generation of multiantibiotic resistant
phenotypes, no biochemical studies on the in Vitro activity of
Radical SAM methyltransferases have been reported to date.
Purification of these enzymes in their active forms and elucida-
tion of their catalytic mechanism will provide critical insight
into the functional principles of Radical SAM methyltransferases
and may pave the way for combating Cfr-based antibiotic
resistance. Understanding the substrate requirements of RlmN
and Cfr may further lead to detailed structural analyses of
methyltransferase-RNA recognition features.
Herein, we describe the in Vitro reconstitution of the
methyltransferase activity of RlmN and Cfr and propose a
mechanism for the highly chemically challenging C-H to C-C
bond conversion. To our knowledge, this study is the first in
Vitro description of a methyl transfer reaction to a carbon center
catalyzed by a Radical SAM enzyme and adds a new function
to the catalytic repertoire of these enzymes.
Expression, Purification, and Reconstitution of RlmN and
Cfr. A 5 mL culture of E. coli BL21 (DE3)/pET21a-rlmN or
pET15b-cfr was grown overnight at 37 °C in Luria-Bertani (LB)
medium containing ampicillin (100 µg/mL) and was used to
inoculate 2 L of the same medium. When OD600 reached 0.4-0.6,
the incubation temperature was lowered to 18 °C and isopropyl-
ꢀ-D-galactopyranoside (IPTG) was added to a final concentration
of 0.2 mM to induce gene expression. FeCl3 was also added to a
final concentration of 0.2 mM to provide a sufficient amount of
iron for iron-sulfur cluster assembly. After incubation for an
additional 24 h at 18 °C, cells were harvested by centrifugation
(5000 × g, 10 min) at 4 °C and stored at -80 °C. The typical
yield was 5 g of wet cells per liter of culture. Subsequent purification
was carried out at 4 °C, and all buffers were degassed and saturated
with nitrogen before use in an anaerobic glovebox.
Thawed cell pellets (∼10 g) were resuspended in 50 mL of lysis
buffer (50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 10% glycerol, 300 mM NaCl)
and subjected to 10 × 30 s ultrasonic bursts (50% cycle, power
level 5), with a 1 min cooling interval between each blast. Cell
debris was removed by centrifugation (30 000 × g, 30 min), and
the supernatant was mixed by slow agitation with 10 mL of Ni-
NTA resin (Qiagen, Valencia, CA) for 1 h at 4 °C. The slurry was
poured into a column and subsequently washed with lysis buffer
supplemented with 20 mM and then 40 mM imidazole (50 mL
each). The brownish protein was eluted with elution buffer (50 mM
Tris-HCl, 10% glycerol, 300 mM NaCl, 250 mM imidazole, pH
8.0).
Materials and Methods
General. All anaerobic experiments were performed in the
glovebox (MBraun, Stratham, NH) under an atmosphere consisting
of 99.997% N2 with less than 2 ppm O2. All chemicals were
analytical grade or the highest quality commercially available and
were used without further purification unless otherwise noted.
S-Adenosyl-L-[methyl-3H]methionine and [2,8-3H]ATP were pur-
chased from Perkin-Elmer (Waltham, MA). Culture medium
ingredients were purchased from Difco (Detroit, MI). DNA
minipreps were performed using the Wizard DNA purification kit
from Promega (Madison, WI). All electrophoresis materials were
purchased from Bio-Rad Lab (Hercules, CA). Enzymes used in
plasmid construction and characterization were from Fermentas
(Glen Burnie, MD).
Construction of the Expression Plasmids for RlmN and
Cfr. The rlmN gene was PCR-amplified from genomic DNA of
the E. coli strain K12 using primers RlmN Cloning 1 and RlmN
Cloning 2 (Table S1, Supporting Information), which included the
NdeI and XhoI restriction sites. The PCR product was purified,
digested with NdeI and XhoI, and cloned into the corresponding
sites of the vector pET-21a (Novagen, Madison, WI). The RlmN
protein encoded in the resulting construct, pET21a-rlmN, is
C-terminally His6-tagged.
The brownish fractions that contained the desired proteins, as
indicated by SDS-PAGE, were separately pooled (∼20 mL). The
[4Fe-4S] cluster was further reconstituted by treating the fractions
with 350 µM DTT, 140 µM cysteine, and 150 µM Na2S. While
the mixture was gently stirred, FeCl3 was slowly added to a final
concentration of 450 µM. The stirring was continued for another
2 h at room temperature, and the proteins were subsequently
concentrated in an Amicon concentrator with YM-10 membrane
(Millipore, Billerica, MA) to less than 1 mL prior to loading on a
30 mL P6 desalting column (Bio-Rad). The reconstituted proteins
were eluted from the column using 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH
8.0) containing 50 mM NaCl and 10% glycerol. The collected
proteins were further purified by FPLC on a 5 mL Hi-Trap Q HP
column (GE Healthcare Life Sciences) using buffer A (50 mM Tris-
HCl, pH 8.0, 50 mM NaCl) and buffer B (50 mM Tris-HCl, pH
8.0, 1 M NaCl). The FPLC buffers for Cfr purification also
contained 10% glycerol. The column was run with 100% buffer A
for 5 mL, followed by a linear gradient of 0 to 40% B in 20 mL.
The flow rate was 1.5 mL/min, and the detector was set to 280 and
410 nm. The eluted proteins were diluted with FPLC buffer A and
concentrated in an Amicon concentrator prior to storage at -80
°C. The concentrations of the as-purified proteins were determined
by the method of Bradford using bovine serum albumin as the
standard.41 The relative molecular weight and purity of enzyme
samples were determined using SDS-PAGE as described by
Laemmli.42 The average protein yield was ∼1.2 mg/L for RlmN
and ∼0.3 mg/L for Cfr.
The cfr gene was PCR-amplified from the previously constructed
plasmid pMS2,7 using primers Cfr Cloning 1 and Cfr Cloning 2
(Table S1) which carried the Bpu1102I and NdeI sites. The PCR
product was initially cloned into the pGEM-T vector (Promega).
Once the cfr-positive clone was identified and the cloned gene
sequenced, cfr was excised using NdeI and Bpu1102I restriction
enzymes and cloned into the corresponding sites of the pET-15b
vector (Novagen). A spontaneous mutation in the cfr stop codon
(36) Pierrel, F.; Douki, T.; Fontecave, M.; Atta, M. J. Biol. Chem. 2004,
279, 47555–47563.
Preparation of RlmN and Cfr Mutants. Mutagenesis of
conserved cysteine residues in the CxxxCxxC motif of RlmN and
Cfr to alanines was carried out using the QuikChange Site-Directed
Mutagenesis Kit (Stratagene). The oligonucleotides used for mu-
tagenesis were purchased from Bioneer Inc. (Alameda, CA) (Table
S2). The constructed mutant plasmids were amplified in E. coli
TOP10 strain and purified with the Qiaprep Spin Miniprep Kit
(37) Herna´ndez, H. L.; Pierrel, F.; Elleingand, E.; Garc´ıa-Serres, R.; Huynh,
B. H.; Johnson, M. K.; Fontecave, M.; Atta, M. Biochemistry 2007,
46, 5140–5147.
(38) Anton, B. P.; Saleh, L.; Benner, J. S.; Raleigh, E. A.; Kasif, S.; Roberts,
R. J. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2008, 105, 1826–1831.
(39) Lee, K.-H.; Saleh, L.; Anton, B. P.; Madinger, C. L.; Benner, J. S.;
Iwig, D. F.; Roberts, R. J.; Krebs, C.; Booker, S. J. Biochemistry 2009,
48, 10162–10174.
(40) Chatterjee, A.; Li, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Grove, T. L.; Lee, M.; Krebs, C.;
Booker, S. J.; Begley, T. P.; Ealick, S. E. Nat. Chem. Biol. 2008, 4,
758–765.
(41) Bradford, M. M. Anal. Biochem. 1976, 72, 248–254.
(42) Laemmli, U. K. Nature 1970, 227, 680–685.
9
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A R T I C L E S
Yan et al.
Scheme 2. Chemical Synthesis of Methyladenosine Standardsa
a Reagents and conditions: (a) HMDS, dioxane, reflux, 8 h; (b) NMP, Pd(Ph3)4, Me4Sn, 120 °C, 20 h; (c) K2CO3, MeOH, 23 °C, 12 h; (d) Ac2O, Et3N,
4-DMAP, MeCN, 23 °C, 1 h; (e) NMP, Pd(Ph3)4, Me4Sn, 110 °C, 12 h; (f) Br2, 10% NaH2PO4, dioxane, 23 °C, 12 h.
(Qiagen) and subsequently verified by DNA sequencing (Elim
Biopharmaceuticals, Hayward, CA). The mutant plasmids were then
used to transform E. coli BL21(DE3) cells (Novagen) which were
used for protein expression. The RlmN/Cfr mutants were expressed,
purified, and subjected to iron-sulfur cluster reconstitution in the
same manner as that for the wild type enzymes, except that the
final FPLC purification step was omitted due to the small quantities
of proteins obtained.
continued for 30 min. 102 µL of water were added to each reaction,
followed by 22.6 µL of Stop Solution (5 M ammonium acetate,
100 mM EDTA). Once the solutions turned clear, 1 volume of
isopropanol (for truncations longer than 86 nucleotides) or 2.5
volumes of ethanol (for truncations shorter than 86 nucleotides)
were added, and the reactions were incubated at -20 °C for 20
min or at -80 °C overnight. Samples were spun at 4 °C for 20
min at 21 000 × g. Pellets were resuspended in 200 µL of 0.3 M
sodium acetate, pH 5.5 and extracted with phenol, phenol/
chloroform, and chloroform. RNA was precipitated with 3 volumes
of ethanol overnight at -80 °C. The samples were pelleted, washed
with 70% ethanol, resuspended in water, and stored at -80 °C.
Chemical Synthesis of Methyladenosine Standards. The
overall strategy for preparing the methyladenosines 1-3 is depicted
in Scheme 2. The synthesis of 8-methyladenosine (1) and 2-me-
thyladenosine (2) followed previously published protocols.44,45 2,8-
Dimethyladenosine (3) was prepared starting with 2′,3′,5′-tri-O-
acetyl-8-bromo-2-iodoadenosine (10), obtained by a known
protocol.45 10 (100 mg, 0.17 mmol) was dissolved in N-methyl-
2-pyrrolidone (NMP, 1 mL), and Pd(Ph3)4 (20 mg, 17 µmol) and
Me4Sn (100 µL, 0.7 mmol) were added, all under the protection of
an argon atmosphere. The mixture was heated at 120 °C, and the
formation of 2′,3′,5′-tri-O-acetyl-2,8-dimethyladenosine (11) was
continuously monitored by TLC (CH2Cl2-MeOH, 98:2). After 12 h,
the mixture was cooled and the product, 11, was extracted with
EtOAc and purified by silica gel column chromatography. The
acetyl protecting groups were removed by treatment with K2CO3
in MeOH, and the final product, 3, was obtained in 65% yield after
purification on a silica gel column. 2,8-Dimethyladenosine (3): 1H
NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ 7.21 (2H, s, NH2), 6.39 (1H, m,
OH), 5.77 (1H, d, J ) 7.1 Hz, H-1′), 5.41 (1H, d, J ) 7.1 Hz,
OH), 5.27 (1H, d, J ) 4.0 Hz, OH), 4.81 (1H, m, H-2′), 4.18 (1H,
m, H-3′), 4.06 (1H, br. s, H-4′), 3.74 (1H, m, H-5′), 3.60 (1H, m,
H-5′), 2.54 (3H, s, CH3), 2.39 (3H, s, CH3). ESI MS m/z 296 (M
+ H)+.
Iron Content Determination.43 For iron content analysis, 1 mL
of RlmN or Cfr sample was mixed with 500 µL of reagent A (1:1
of 4.5% KMnO4/1.2 N HCl) and incubated at 60 °C for 2 h. The
sample was cooled, and 100 µL of reagent B (8.8 g of ascorbic
acid, 9.7 g of ammonium acetate, 80 mg of ferrozine, 80 mg of
neocuproine, and H2O to 25 mL total volume) were added followed
by vigorous vortexing. The absorption at 562 nm was recorded after
1 h of incubation at room temperature. The iron content was finally
determined by comparing the reading to a standard curve.
Preparation of Truncated rRNA Substrates. 23S rRNA
fragments that encompassed A2503 were generated by in Vitro
transcription using PCR products as templates. All forward PCR
primers included the T7 RNA polymerase promoter sequence
TAATACGACTCACTATAGG, followed by several nucleotides
corresponding to specific segments of 23S rRNA. The primers used
for PCR amplifications are listed in Table S3. Segments of the 23S
rRNA gene were amplified using the plasmid pKK3535 as a
template. PCR products were cleaned using the SV Wizard Kit
(Promega) and subsequently used for in Vitro transcription. For the
shortest truncation, 2496-2507, the template for in Vitro transcrip-
tion was prepared by annealing 400 pmol each of primers 2496
Short and 2507 Short in 40 µL of water. The mixture of the two
primers was incubated at 100 °C for 1 min and then allowed to
cool down to room temperature over 20 min.
For the in Vitro transcription, 10 µg of DNA template were placed
in 100 µL of a solution containing buffer (40 mM Tris-HCl, pH
8.0, 22 mM MgCl2, 5 mM DTT, 1 mM spermidine), 2.5 mM each
rNTPs, 20 mM DTT, 0.2 U/µL RiboLock RNase inhibitor (Fer-
mentas), and T7 RNA polymerase. Reactions were incubated at
37 °C for 3 h, until the reactions turned cloudy. 2 U/µg (20 µL) of
RQ1 DNase (Promega) were added, and incubation at 37 °C
(44) Van Aerschot, A. A.; Mamos, P.; Weyns, N. J.; Ikeda, S.; De Clercq,
E.; Herdewijn, P. A. J. Med. Chem. 2002, 36, 2938–2942.
(45) van Tilburg, E. W.; Gremmen, M.; von Frijtag Drabbe Ku¨nzel, J.; de
Groote, M.; IJzerman, A. P. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2003, 11, 2183–
2192.
(43) Fish, W. W. Methods Enzymol. 1988, 158, 357–364.
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RlmN and Cfr: Radical SAM Methyltransferases
A R T I C L E S
Activity Assays for RlmN and Cfr. A typical activity assay
for RlmN/Cfr contained 10 mM MgCl2, 2 mM sodium dithionite
(SDT), 1.5 µCi S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-3H]methionine ([3H-methyl]-
SAM, 10.0 Ci/mmol), 1 µM RlmN (or 2 µM Cfr), and 0.2 µM (10
pmol) of purified rRNA in 50 µL of Tris-HCl buffer (100 mM, pH
8.0). All the reaction components were made anaerobic by bubbling
or purging with argon prior to mixing in an MBraun glovebox.
The reaction was initiated by addition of [3H-methyl]-SAM, and
after 30 min of incubation at 37 °C, the reaction mixture was
transferred onto a 23 mm Whatman DE81 filter paper disk (GE
Healthcare Life Sciences). The paper discs were thoroughly washed
with a 5% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) solution by gentle swirling
(3 × 5 min), dried in air, and placed inside scintillation vials.
Scintillation fluid was added, and counts were taken in a Beckman-
Coulter LS6500 multipurpose scintillation counter (Fullerton, CA).
HPLC Separation and Identification of Methylated Adenos-
ines. The methylated rRNA from RlmN/Cfr assay mixtures was
purified using the Qiagen RNeasy Mini Kit. Subsequently, the
purified rRNA was enzymatically digested to mononucleosides
using nuclease P1, snake venom phosphodiesterase, and alkaline
phosphatase.46 The digested samples were loaded onto a Luna
analytical C18 column (10 µm, 4.6 mm × 250 mm) (Phenomenex,
Torrance, CA), in a solvent system consisting of 40 mM ammonium
acetate, pH 6.0 (A) and 40% aqueous acetonitrile (B). The
nucleosides were eluted at a flow rate of 1 mL/min with a step
gradient of 0% B (0-2 min), 0-25% B (2-27 min), and 25-60%
B (27-37 min), and the retention times of enzymatic products were
compared to those of synthetic standards.47 The mononucleosides
and the synthetic methyladenosines were detected by their UV
absorption at 256 nm, while the 3H-labeled methylated adenosines
were detected by a Packard radiomatic 515TR flow scintillation
analyzer (Perkin-Elmer).
(10 µm, 4.6 mm × 250 mm) using a linear gradient (1 mL/min)
from 85% eluant A (0.1 M NaH2PO4, 2% acetonitrile, 8 mM
1-heptanesulfonic acid, pH 2.65) to 100% eluant B (0.1 M
NaH2PO4, 26% acetonitrile, 8 mM 1-heptanesulfonic acid, pH 3.25)
3
over a 30 min span. The H-labeled synthetic SAM was detected
by a Packard radiomatic 515TR flow scintillation analyzer, while
the coeluted commercial SAM was detected by monitoring the
absorption at 256 nm.
HPLC Detection of 5′-Deoxyadenosine Formation. The RlmN/
Cfr assays were performed using newly synthesized [2,8-3H-
adenosyl]-SAM. The reaction mixtures were analyzed on a Phe-
nomenex Luna analytical C18 column (10 µm, 4.6 mm × 250 mm)
using the conditions that were previously developed for the detection
3
of methylated adenosines. The H-labeled 5′-deoxyadenosine (5′-
dA) produced in the reaction was detected by a Packard radiomatic
515TR flow scintillation analyzer, while the coeluted commercial
5′-dA was detected by monitoring the absorption at 256 nm.
HPLC Detection of S-Adenosylhomocysteine Formation. The
reaction mixtures from the RlmN/Cfr assays using [2,8-3H-
adenosyl]-SAM were derivatized with OPA reagent and analyzed
on a Phenomenex Luna analytical C18 column (10 µm, 4.6 mm ×
250 mm) using the conditions that were previously developed for
3
the detection of methionine. The H-labeled S-adenosylhomocys-
teine (SAH) produced in the reaction was detected by a Packard
radiomatic 515TR flow scintillation analyzer, while the coeluted
OPA derivative of commercial SAH was detected by monitoring
the absorption at 338 nm.
Results
Expression, Purification, and Reconstitution of RlmN and
Cfr. The rlmN gene was amplified from E. coli genomic DNA
and cloned into a pET-21a expression vector, and the resultant
recombinant plasmid (pET21a-rlmN) was introduced into the
E. coli BL21(DE3) strain, allowing for the production of
C-terminally His6-tagged RlmN. To prepare N-terminally His6-
tagged Cfr protein, the cfr gene was amplified from the plasmid
pMS2,7 cloned into a pET-15b expression vector, and used to
transform E. coli BL21(DE3) cells. Protein expression from both
constructs was induced as described in Materials and Methods,
and both proteins were purified under anaerobic conditions by
nickel affinity chromatography, resulting in the isolation of
brownish proteins. For each of the proteins, the as-isolated
protein fractions were treated with DTT (350 µM), cysteine (140
µM), Na2S (150 µM), and FeCl3 (450 µM) to allow for
reconstitution of the iron-sulfur cluster. The reconstituted
proteins were further purified by ion-exchange chromatography
under anaerobic conditions, resulting in homogeneous dark
brown proteins. The purified and reconstituted proteins migrated
at approximately 43 kDa (RlmN) and 37 kDa (Cfr) on an SDS-
PAGE gel (Figure 1A), in good agreement with the calculated
molecular weight of the polypeptides (43.1 and 39.9 kDa,
respectively). The protein concentration was determined by the
method of Bradford, and the iron content by spectrophotometry
after treatment with ferrozine. The UV/vis spectra, with absor-
bance maxima at approximately 410 nm, tailing to longer
wavelengths, are consistent with the presence of an iron-sulfur
cluster (Figure 1B, C).39,51,52 These spectral characteristics are
in agreement with the iron content determined for both proteins
after reconstitution (RlmN: 3.98 ( 0.16; Cfr: 6.79 ( 0.42 mols
of iron per mole of protein), sufficient to support formation of
a [4Fe-4S] cluster.
HPLC Detection of Methionine Formation. The RlmN/Cfr
assay mixtures were treated with OPA reagent (5 mM ortho-
phthalaldehyde, 2% ꢀ-mercaptoethanol, 0.3% sodium borate, pH
10.5).48 The derivatized samples were analyzed on a Phenomenex
Luna analytical C18 column (10 µm, 4.6 mm × 250 mm) at a flow
rate of 1 mL/min using a linear gradient of 30% to 80% methanol
in 50 mM NaH2PO4, pH 5.1, over 40 min. An OPA derivative of
commercial methionine was detected by monitoring the absorption
at 338 nm, while 3H-labeled methionine produced in reaction
mixtures was detected by a Packard radiomatic 515TR flow
scintillation analyzer.
Enzymatic Synthesis of [2,8-3H-Adenosyl]-SAM. The E. coli
strain DM22(pK8) that overproduces SAM synthetase was a
generous gift from Dr. G. Douglas Markham, Fox Chase Cancer
Center (Philadelphia, PA). SAM synthetase was prepared in the
form of crude lysate of DM22(pK8) cells using the protocol of
Broderick.49 The ability of as-prepared SAM synthetase to produce
SAM was initially confirmed using unlabeled ATP and methionine.
To prepare the tritium-labeled [2,8-3H-adenosyl]-SAM, a 100 µL
reaction containing 50 mM KCl, 20 mM MgCl2, 1 mM EDTA, 10
µM methionine, 0.1 unit inorganic pyrophosphatase, and 15 µCi
[2,8-3H]ATP (27.8 Ci/mmol) in 100 mM Tris-HCl pH 8.0 was
initiated by the addition of 5 µL of SAM synthetase crude lysate.
Following incubation, the 3H-labeled SAM was bound to ion-
exchange resin Dowex-50WX8 in the Na+ form (Bio-Rad Lab);
washed sequentially with H2O, 0.1 M NaCl, and 1 M HCl; and
eluted with 6 M HCl.50 After removal of the solvent, the identity
and purity of synthetic SAM were verified by coelution with
commercial SAM on a Phenomenex Luna analytical C18 column
(46) Crain, P. F. Methods Enzymol. 1990, 193, 782–790.
(47) Buck, M.; Connick, M.; Ames, B. N. Anal. Biochem. 1983, 129, 1–
13.
(48) Gardner, W. S.; Miller, W. H., III. Anal. Biochem. 1980, 101, 61–65.
(49) Walsby, C. J.; Hong, W.; Broderick, W. E.; Cheek, J.; Ortillo, D.;
Broderick, J. B.; Hoffman, B. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 3143–
3151.
(51) Ku¨lzer, R.; Pils, T.; Kappl, R.; Hu¨ttermann, J.; Knappe, J. J. Biol.
Chem. 1998, 273, 4897–4903.
(52) Cicchillo, R. M.; Baker, M. A.; Schnitzer, E. J.; Newman, E. B.; Krebs,
C.; Booker, S. J. J. Biol. Chem. 2004, 279, 32418–32425.
(50) Petrenko, S. V. Pharm. Chem. J. 1983, 17, 218–220.
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Figure 1. Gel analysis and spectral properties of methyltransferases. (A) SDS-PAGE of purified RlmN and Cfr: lane 1, protein markers; lane 2, RlmN; lane
3, Cfr. (B, C) UV-vis absorption spectra of fully reconstituted (B) RlmN, 48 µM and (C) Cfr, 55 µM. The spectra were recorded in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer,
pH 8.0.
Figure 2. Activity of RlmN (A) and Cfr (B) toward ribosomes and their subunits. Candidate substrates isolated from the rlmN knockout strain of E. coli
are prefaced with KO, while those isolated from the wild type strain are labeled as WT. SDT, sodium dithionite. Inserts show a substantial reduction of
methyl transfer to rRNA isolated from the A2503G mutant strain.
In Vitro Activity and rRNA Substrates of RlmN and Cfr.
To determine whether RlmN and Cfr display methyltransferase
activity in Vitro, a series of rRNAs were incubated with each
of the methyltransferases. In a typical assay, the enzyme was
incubated under anaerobic conditions with purified rRNA
(Supporting Information) in the presence of sodium dithionite
as a source of the electron required for the reduction of the
[4Fe-4S] cluster to the +1 oxidation state and S-adenosyl-L-
[methyl-3H]methionine ([3H-methyl]-SAM) as a methyl donor.
The intact 70S E. coli ribosome, the large (50S) and small (30S)
ribosomal subunits, and the rRNA components of both of these
subunits, 23S rRNA (with 5S rRNA) and 16S rRNA, were tested
as candidate substrates for RlmN and Cfr. These candidate
substrates were prepared either from the wild type (WT) - E.
coli or from the rlmN knockout strain. In the wild type 23S
rRNA, A2503 is supposed to be C2 methylated by the action
of endogenous RlmN, whereas A2503 remains unmodified in
23S rRNA from the rlmN knockout strain. Following the
incubation with the methyltransferase and [3H-methyl]-SAM,
rRNA was recovered from the reaction and analyzed for the
presence of tritium-derived radioactivity. These experiments
established 23S rRNA from the rlmN knockout strain as the
only substrate for RlmN, while both the wild type and rlmN
knockout 23S rRNA were substrates for Cfr (Figure 2A, B).
Our findings are in agreement with previous in ViVo studies that
pointed to 23S rRNA as the target of these enzymes.4,5,11 Only
protein-free rRNA, but not large ribosomal subunits or 70S
ribosomes, could serve as RlmN or Cfr substrates (Figure 2A,
B). The inability of Cfr or RlmN to modify these latter substrates
is likely a consequence of steric hindrance precluding the access
of the enzymes to A2503 in the context of the mature 50S
subunit. To better establish the specificity of both enzymes, we
prepared rRNA with an A2503 to G mutation (Supporting
Information). Neither Cfr nor RlmN could catalyze transfer of
the label from [3H-methyl]-SAM to this mutant rRNA (Figure
2, inserts), indicating that the activity of both methyltransferases
is targeted toward A2503.
In 23S rRNA, A2503 is located in a single-stranded region
flanked by helices 89 and 90-92 (Figure 3A-C). To further
define rRNA substrate requirements for the RlmN- and Cfr-
catalyzed methyl transfer, several fragments of 23S rRNA were
prepared by in Vitro transcription and tested in methylation
assays with purified enzymes. 23S rRNA fragments encompass-
ing parts of domain V (pos. 2018-2788, 2018-2625, and
2447-2625) were readily used by RlmN and Cfr as substrates
for methylation (Figure 3D-F). Removal of a larger part of
domain V did not prevent RlmN or Cfr from modifying their
RNA target as long as the helix structure H90-H92, which
includes the functionally important A-loop, was present in the
substrate construct. The activity of both enzymes was somewhat
attenuated with shorter constructs (Figure 3G-K), suggesting
that some of the deleted rRNA regions may stabilize the
conformation of the RNA substrate recognized by the methyl-
transferases. The construct that contained helix 89 but lacked
helices 90-92 was inactive (Figure 3I), underscoring the
importance of the H90-H92 segment as the RlmN and Cfr
recognition element.
Establishing the Nature of Adenosine Modification by
RlmN and Cfr. To establish the exact pattern of modification
of the adenosine target of the Radical SAM methyltransferases,
the in Vitro methylated 23S rRNA was purified and enzymati-
cally digested to single nucleosides. The resulting hydrolysate
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RlmN and Cfr: Radical SAM Methyltransferases
A R T I C L E S
Figure 3. Activity of RlmN and Cfr toward truncated fragments of 23S rRNA. (A) Schematic representation of 23S rRNA secondary structure. The position
of A2503 is shown as an orange dot, and the region of 23S rRNA used in the truncations below is boxed in red. (B) Close-up of the 23S secondary structure
containing m2A2503, which is highlighted in orange. Helix 89 is pale green, helices 90-92 are yellow, and helix 93 is violet. (C) 3-D schematic of A2503
in relation to helix 89 (pale green), helices 90-92 (yellow), and helix 93 (violet). A2503 is shown in orange, with the methyl groups of C2 and C8 colored
as dark purple and magenta, respectively. (D-K) Activities of Cfr (dark gray) and RlmN (light gray) for the specific truncations. The enzyme activities are
graphed relative to the activity for full 23S rRNA as the substrate, with 100% delineated with a dashed line. The location of A2503 is again represented by
an orange dot.
was analyzed by HPLC, and the retention time of the radiola-
beled product was compared with synthetic standards of
predicted methylated products, 2-methyladenosine (RlmN),
8-methyladenosine, and 2,8-dimethyladenosine (Cfr). The in-
cubation of 23S rRNA isolated from the rlmN knockout strain
with RlmN and the subsequent enzymatic digestion to nucleo-
sides resulted in the formation of a radioactive product that
coeluted with 2-methyladenosine (Figure 4A). As mentioned
earlier, no modification of the wild type 23S rRNA with this
enzyme was observed (Figure 4B). When Cfr-treated rRNA
from the rlmN knockout strain was isolated and digested in the
same manner, the appearance of two new products was noted:
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Yan et al.
Figure 4. HPLC analysis of methylation products of RlmN and Cfr. (A) RlmN + KO total rRNA; (B) RlmN + WT total rRNA; (C) Cfr + KO total rRNA;
(D) Cfr + WT total rRNA. (a) 3H radioactive chromatogram of digested RNA; (b) UV-vis chromatogram of digested RNA at 256 nm; (c) UV-vis
chromatogram of synthetic methyladenosine standards at 256 nm. 1. Me8A; 2. Me2A; 3. Me2Me8A. KO: rRNA isolated from rlmN knockout E. coli strain.
WT: rRNA isolated from the wild type E. coli.
Figure 5. Activity of cysteine to alanine mutants of RlmN toward total rRNA from rlmN knockout E. coli strain (A), and Cfr mutants toward total rRNA
from rlmN knockout (B) and wild type E. coli strains (C).
8-methyladenosine and 2,8-dimethyladenosine (Figure 4C).
Incubation of the same methyltransferase with the wild type
23S rRNA, already modified at the C2 position by the
endogenous RlmN, provided 2,8-dimethyladenosine as the sole
radiolabeled product (Figure 4D). Our in Vitro analysis is in
agreement with the observed regioselectivity of methylation
noted in in ViVo studies and shows that the purified enzymes
retain their native activities.5,11
Role of the Cysteine-Rich Motifs in RlmN and Cfr. The
CX3CX2C motif, found in both of the methyltransferases, is a
characteristic feature of Radical SAM enzymes where it ligates
an iron-sulfur cluster. To investigate the importance of this
motif in RlmN and Cfr catalysis, we prepared a series of mutants
in which cysteines in the CX3CX2C motifs were individually
replaced with alanines. The C125A, C129A, and C132A mutants
of RlmN as well as the C112A, C116A, and C119A mutants of
Cfr were overproduced, purified, and reconstituted in the same
manner as that for the wild type enzymes. All mutants provided
soluble proteins (Figure S1), although a substantial decrease in
stability as compared to the wild type enzymes was observed
during their purification. None of the mutants were active toward
their respective 23S rRNA substrates (Figure 5), strongly
implicating a crucial role for the cysteine-rich motif and the
associated iron-sulfur cluster in the methyl transfer reactions.
Methionine, 5′-deoxyadenosine (5′-dA), and S-adenosylho-
mocysteine (SAH) are SAM-derived byproducts of RlmN and
Cfr-catalyzed methyl transfer. Despite the diverse overall
outcomes, Radical SAM enzymes utilize a 5′-deoxyadenosyl
radical, generated by the reductive cleavage of SAM, to initiate
the enzymatic transformations that they catalyze. The formation
of this reactive species is accompanied by the formation of
methionine. Subsequent 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical-promoted
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A R T I C L E S
Figure 6. RlmN- and Cfr-catalyzed methylations are accompanied by reductive cleavage of SAM and S-adenosylhomocysteine formation. (A) Detection of
methionine in the reaction of methyltransferases with [3H-methyl]-SAM. (B) Detection of 5′-deoxyadenosine production in the reaction of methyltransferases
with [2,8-3H-adenosyl]-SAM. (C) Detection of S-adenosylhomocysteine production in the reaction of methyltransferases with [2,8-3H-adenosyl]-SAM.
hydrogen atom abstraction from the substrate generates 5′-
deoxyadenosine. Therefore, the formation of methionine and
5′-deoxyadenosine is a mechanistic hallmark of the reductive
cleavage of SAM. To investigate if RlmN- and Cfr-catalyzed
methyl transfer is accompanied by the reductive cleavage of
SAM, we analyzed reaction mixtures for the formation of
methionine and 5′-deoxyadenosine. Following the enzymatic
methylation of rRNA with [3H-methyl]-SAM, the reaction
mixtures were treated with an ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA)
derivatization reagent, and the retention time of the products
formed in the reaction mixture were compared with that of OPA-
As noted above, transfer of the 3H-labeled methyl group from
SAM to RNA clearly established that SAM is the methyl donor
in the methylation reactions (Figure 2). These findings suggest
formation of S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) as a byproduct of
the methyl transfer.53 Having synthesized [2,8-3H-adenosyl]-
SAM, we were able to monitor SAH formation. Following
incubation of RlmN and Cfr with both the wild type and the
knockout rRNA, the reaction mixture was OPA-derivatized as
described in Materials and Methods, and SAH formation was
assessed by coelution of the OPA-derived reaction mixture with
the authentic OPA-derivatized SAH standard (Figure 6C). SAH
production was detected in the reaction of RlmN with the rlmN-
knockout RNA and the reaction of Cfr with both the wild type
and the knockout RNA substrates. Small amounts of SAH were
noted in the reaction of RlmN with the wild type rRNA and
are likely a consequence of SAM hydrolysis uncoupled to the
product formation. No SAH formation was noted in any of the
negative control reactions (Figure S4). Together, our data
indicate that Radical SAM methyltransferases RlmN and Cfr
utilize two SAM molecules per each introduced methyl mark:
the first one to generate the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical and initiate
catalysis, and the second as the methyl donor.
3
derivatized methionine (Figure 6A). A H-labeled peak at 35
min, which coeluted with the OPA-derivatized methionine
standard, was detected in the reaction of RlmN with the rlmN-
knockout RNA, as well as the reactions of Cfr with both the
rlmN-knockout and the wild type RNA substrates. In contrast,
only a trace amount of methionine was formed when RlmN
was incubated with the wild type RNA substrate, where pre-
existing modification of A2503 precludes the methyl transfer.
No methionine production or its formation in only trace amounts
was noted when the reactions were performed in the absence
of sodium dithionite (Figure S2A) or when substrate or enzyme
was omitted from the reaction (Figure S2B).
To confirm that the formation of methionine, 5′-deoxyad-
enosine, and SAH is coupled to the methylation of the substrate,
the formation of these SAM-derived byproducts was monitored
over time and correlated to the time-dependent formation of
the methylated product (Figure 7). For these studies we chose
the RlmN-catalyzed methylation, as this enzyme introduces a
single methyl mark. The incubation of the substrate with [3H-
methyl]-SAM demonstrated that the product formation correlates
well to the release of methionine (Figure 7A), providing strong
evidence in support of the reductive cleavage of SAM as a
productive pathway-related transformation. Furthermore, the
time-dependent correlation between the formation of 5′-deoxy-
adenosine and SAH in the reaction with [2,8-3H-adenosyl]-SAM
(Figure 7B) lends further support for the coupling of the
homolytic cleavage of SAM (5′-deoxyadenosyl radical and 5′-
deoxyadenosine formation; substrate activation) and substrate
methylation (SAH formation). The absence of strict correlation
between RNA methylation and formation of SAM-derived
byproducts is likely a consequence of the abortive cleavage of
SAM, evident in control experiments performed in the absence
of the substrate (Figures S2 and S3, Supporting Information).
To determine if 5′-deoxyadenosine production accompanies
methylation of the rRNA substrate, we prepared [2,8-3H-
adenosyl]-SAM, a SAM analogue tritiated at the adenosine
portion of the molecule. This compound was prepared via
enzymatic synthesis from [2,8-3H]ATP, as described in Material
and Methods. Incubation of RlmN with the rlmN-knockout 23S
rRNA in the presence of [2,8-3H-adenosyl]-SAM resulted in
the formation of 5′-deoxyadenosine (Figure 6B). No formation
of this product was noted in the reaction of RlmN with the wild
type rRNA. However, reaction of both rRNA substrates with
Cfr and [2,8-3H-adenosyl]-SAM led to the formation of 5′-
deoxyadenosine, the production of which is dependent on the
presence of sodium dithionite (Figure S3A). Similarly, the
omission of enzyme or substrate from the incubation mixtures
led to the formation of only trace amounts or complete
abrogation of the production of 5′-deoxyadenosine (Figure S3B).
The formation of the trace amounts of methionine and 5′-
deoxyadenosine in the control reactions is attributed to reductive
cleavage of SAM uncoupled from the product formation.
Together, the detection of methionine and 5′-deoxyadenosine
support a radical-based mechanism for RlmN- and Cfr-catalyzed
methylations, involving the reductive cleavage of SAM and
subsequent hydrogen-atom abstraction from the substrate.
(53) Fontecave, M.; Atta, M.; Mulliez, E. Trends Biochem. Sci. 2004, 29,
243–249.
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Figure 7. Time-dependent formation of methyladenosine (b), methionine (2), 5′-deoxyadenosine (9), and S-adenosylhomocysteine ([) in the RlmN-
catalyzed methylation. (A) Formation of methyladenosine and methionine was monitored in the reaction of RlmN with [3H-methyl]-SAM. (B) Formation of
5′-deoxyadenosine and S-adenosylhomocysteine was monitored in the reaction of RlmN with [2,8-3H-adenosyl]-SAM.
Scheme 3. 23S rRNA Modifications Catalyzed by RlmN and Cfr
Discussion
as the preferred substrate. This observation also indicates that
RlmN action is not a prerequisite for Cfr activity and that the
two enzymes may even compete for the unmethylated rRNA
substrate during ribosomal assembly (see below). Our observa-
tion that the C2 methylation is catalyzed by RlmN, while the
C8 methylation is performed by Cfr, is in agreement with in
ViVo studies in which the nature of modification was determined
by TLC analysis and mass spectrometry.5,11 In addition, our
studies unambiguously established that SAM is a methyl donor
for both enzymes, as radioactivity was transferred to the RNA
substrate when [3H-methyl]-SAM was used in the reaction.
The most intriguing aspect of the RlmN- and Cfr-catalyzed
methylations is the ability of the enzymes to append a methyl
group to aromatic carbon centers. Such a reaction requires high
activation energy, as the homolytic bond dissociation energy
for hydrogen atom abstraction from the C2 carbon of adenosine
is approximately 98 kcal ·mol-1, among the highest known for
anaerobic C-H bond cleavage.18,55 These enzymes catalyze
adenosine methylation by using a radical mechanism for
substrate activation. The radical chemistry is enabled by the
[4Fe-4S] cluster, the presence of which was established by
UV-vis spectroscopy and the iron content determination of the
purified and reconstituted proteins. Mutation of any of the
conserved cysteines within the characteristic CX3CX2C abol-
ished methyltransferase activity for both RlmN and Cfr. This
is consistent with the in ViVo observation that mutants of the
iron-sulfur cluster-coordinating cysteine residues in Cfr fail
to protect bacterial cells from antibiotic action.5 We observed
that the enzymatic methylation requires the presence of sodium
dithionite, a common one-electron donor in the reactions
catalyzed by Radical SAM enzymes and a surrogate for the
physiological reductant, likely necessary for the reduction of
In this study, we purified and analyzed enzymatic activities
of two Radical SAM methyltransferases that operate upon the
same nucleotide residue in a 3000 nucleotide-long RNA. RlmN
introduces a “native” C2 methylation of A2503 in the bacterial
23S rRNA, whereas Cfr methylates the C8 position and confers
antibiotic resistance. Unlike the methylation of other RNA bases
via a polar mechanism (for example, enzymatic mono- and
dimethylation of A2058 in 23S rRNA that leads to macrolide
resistance54), the modifications of A2503 are unique as they
are carried out on amidine carbons of the substrate. These
carbon-carbon bond forming methyl transfer reactions are
catalyzed by two methyl transferases, RlmN and Cfr, both
members of the Radical SAM enzyme superfamily (Scheme 3).
While members of this family have been shown to catalyze a
number of transformations, to date no methyltransferase activity
has been demonstrated in Vitro. By showing that purified and
in Vitro reconstituted RlmN and Cfr catalyze the methylation
of 23S rRNA and by obtaining experimental evidence consistent
with the radical mechanism, we now add C-methyltransferase
activity to the inventory of transformations catalyzed by Radical
SAM enzymes.
In this study, RlmN and Cfr were cloned and expressed as
His-tagged fusions. Both enzymes were purified under anaerobic
conditions and their iron-sulfur clusters reconstituted. Both
enzymes were capable of methylation of 23S rRNA. The nature
of the enzymatic products was established by coelution of these
products, digested to single nucleosides, with synthetic stan-
dards. These experiments showed that while RlmN catalyzes
methylation at position C2 of the substrate, Cfr could catalyze
methylation at two distinct positions of the substrate adenine
nucleotide (C2 and C8), with the physiologically relevant C8
(54) Vester, B.; Douthwaite, S. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 2001, 45,
(55) Barckholtz, C.; Barckholtz, T. A.; Hadad, C. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
1999, 121, 491–500.
1–12.
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RlmN and Cfr: Radical SAM Methyltransferases
A R T I C L E S
Scheme 4. Proposed Mechanism for Methylation Catalyzed by the Radical SAM Methyltransferase RlmN
the iron-sulfur cluster to the +1 oxidation state, and initiation
of the reaction cycle (Scheme 1).
a source of the hydrogen atom abstracting 5′-deoxyadenosyl
radical and as a donor of the methyl group, RlmN and Cfr
resemble MiaB and RimO, members of the methylthiotrans-
ferase subclass of the Radical SAM superfamily.36-39 Further
similarity between MiaB and the methyltransferases described
in this study is evident in the conserved first catalytic step, where
all three enzymes likely use the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical to
abstract a hydrogen atom from an sp2-hybridized carbon center
of an adenosine-derivative nucleotide in the substrate rRNA.
We have determined that neither enzyme can act on the
assembled 50S subunit or the 70S ribosome, but protein-free
23S rRNA proved to be a good substrate. This observation is
fully compatible with the location of A2503 deep in the peptidyl-
transferase cavity of the mature large ribosomal subunit, where
it is poorly accessible to the modification enzymes. Thus, RlmN-
and Cfr-catalyzed methylation of A2503 most likely takes place
during ribosome assembly.57 Many intermediate assembly steps
separate naked 23S rRNA and the mature 50S subunit in the
assembly pathway, thus limiting the knowledge of the precise
ribosomal assembly step at which the two enzymes may act.
However, the observation that the enzymes are not functional
with the mature 50S subunit substrate indicates that there is
only a narrow time frame during the course of the subunit
assembly when A2503 can be modified. This conclusion has
important ramifications for the Cfr-mediated mechanism of
antibiotic resistance because the extent of modification (and thus,
the extent of resistance) may critically depend on the rate of
ribosomal assembly. Other factors, such as pretreatment of cells
with antibiotics that inhibit ribosome biogenesis or the activity
of other modification enzymes that utilize adjacent segments
of rRNA in the heavily modified peptidyl transferase center,
may influence the window of opportunity for the Cfr and RlmN
enzymes to act. The environmental conditions and growth phase
of the cell can also have effects on the extent of A2503
modification, since ribosomes need to be actively assembling
in order for Cfr and RlmN to methylate the rRNA.
In addition to the involvement of the [4Fe-4S] cluster, a
hallmark of Radical SAM enzymes is the reductive cleavage
of the cofactor SAM to generate methionine and a 5′-deoxy-
adenosyl radical. Substrate activation is achieved by 5′-
deoxyadenosyl radical-mediated hydrogen atom abstraction,
leading to generation of 5′-deoxyadenosine as one of the reaction
products (Scheme 1).16-18 By using [3H-methyl]-SAM and [2,8-
3H-adenosyl]-SAM, we demonstrated that RlmN- and Cfr-
catalyzed methyl transfer reactions are accompanied by the
production of methionine and 5′-deoxyadenosine, suggesting the
role of the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical in hydrogen atom abstrac-
tion. In addition to 5′-deoxyadenosine, RlmN- and Cfr-catalyzed
methylations also generate S-adenosylhomocysteine, suggesting
that these methyltransferases consume two molecules of SAM
per every methyl group introduced. The evidence that methion-
ine, 5′-deoxyadenosine, and SAH are formed on the productive
pathway was obtained by monitoring their time-dependent
formation in the RlmN-catalyzed reaction, which indicated a
strong correlation between the formation of 2-methyladenosine
and methionine, as well as 5′-deoxyadenosine and SAH. As
methionine and 5′-deoxyadenosine are both formed as a result
of the homolytic cleavage of SAM, these experiments provided
a link between the introduction of the methyl group into the
RNA and consumption of two molecules of SAM.
Based on these findings, we postulate a methylation mech-
anism depicted in Scheme 4. In the first step, the [4Fe-4S]1+
cluster donates one electron to SAM1 to form the 5′-deoxyad-
enosyl radical. This highly reactive radical then abstracts a
hydrogen atom from the substrate (the C2 or C8 position of the
adenosine) to generate a substrate-centered radical. In the
subsequent steps, a methyl group is transferred to the substrate
from SAM2, forming the methylated product. The exact nature
of the substrate-derived species that is subject to methylation
is unknown, and its identification is hampered by the tremendous
complexity of the rRNA substrate. Binding of two molecules
of SAM per each molecule of the methyltransferase is in
agreement with the recent structural modeling of Cfr.56 Given
their requirement for two distinct roles of SAM in catalysis, as
(56) Kaminska, K. H.; Purta, E.; Hansen, L. H.; Bujnicki, J. M.; Vester,
B.; Long, K. S. Nucleic Acids Res. 2009 (doi:10.1093/mar/gkp1142).
(57) Kaczanowska, M.; Ryde´n-Aulin, M. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. ReV. 2007,
71, 477–494.
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A R T I C L E S
Yan et al.
Following this logic, it is also possible that organisms with
different rates of ribosomal biogenesis may then be modified
at A2503 to different extents. Association of cfr with mobile
genetic elements such as plasmids and transposons makes it
potentially prone to rapid horizontal transfer between bacterial
species.8,58 Investigation of the species-specific variation of Cfr-
mediated A2503 modification and its correlation with pretreat-
ment with other antibiotics may pave the way for better
antibiotic regimens and new approaches for combating antibiotic
resistance.
which is located close to A2503 and is a part of an rRNA
element recognized by RlmN, contains the highly conserved
A-loop, which makes critical contacts with the A-site tRNA.60
It is therefore possible that the A2503 C2 methylation serves
as one of the check points of proper ribosome assembly and
gives a stamp of approval for the subsequent assembly steps
(possibly involving DbpA-mediated refolding of helix 92). The
role of posttranscriptional modifications as indicators of correct
assembly has been proposed in the case of some modifying
enzymes such as KsgA and RluD, highlighting the possibility
that the endogenous C2 methylation might play a similar
function.61,62
In summary, we have successfully reconstituted two methy-
lation events of an adenosine nucleotide in the complex 23S
rRNA substrate. These methyl transfer reactions are catalyzed
by the Radical SAM methyltransferases RlmN and Cfr. We
demonstrate that these enzymes require an intact [4Fe-4S]
cluster for catalysis and that SAM serves as both a source of
the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical and the methyl donor. We further
demonstrated the RNA substrate requirements of both enzymes.
To our knowledge, this study represents the first in Vitro
description of a methyl transfer catalyzed by a member of the
Radical SAM superfamily and adds a new catalytic function to
this diverse enzyme class. Our work represents a starting point
for future studies into the mechanism of the Radical SAM
enzyme-mediated methyl transfer reactions.
Studies of the RNA substrate of RlmN and Cfr suggest that
the 23S rRNA segment required for moderate methylation of
A2503 is limited to helix system H90-H92 and the adjacent
single-stranded stretch of RNA that includes A2503 (Figure 3).
Removal of helices 90-92 from the RNA substrate precluded
both RlmN and Cfr from modifying A2503, indicating that this
helical structure is the key recognition element for both enzymes.
At the late steps of ribosomal assembly, proper folding of this
structure may be assisted by an RNA helicase DbpA, which
directly interacts with helix 92.59,60 Therefore, depending on
the sequence of events, DbpA could also influence the extent
of A2503 modification by RlmN and/or Cfr. Nevertheless, we
did not observe any difference in resistance to florfenicol when
Cfr was expressed in wild type or in dbpA- cells (LaMarre and
Mankin, unpublished) and thus concluded that either Cfr (and
probably RlmN) acts upon RNA prior to DbpA action or the
90-92 helical element of 23S rRNA can be recognized by the
methyltransferases irrespective of its DbpA-mediated transfor-
mation. Knowledge of the minimal RNA substrate of the RlmN
and Cfr radical SAM methyltransferases should facilitate
subsequent structural and kinetic studies of both enzymes.
The role of the RlmN-catalyzed C2 methylation of A2503 in
the process of translation is unknown. Previous work has
demonstrated that while growth rates of wild type and ∆rlmN
cells are comparable, cells lacking the RlmN methyltransferase
slowly lose in growth competition with wild type cells.11 The
rlmN gene is present in many bacterial species, and its
homologues are found in some single-celled eukaryotes and
archaea, indicating that the A2503 modification may assist
ribosome functions in all three major evolutionary domains.
A2503 is located at the junction between the peptidyl transferase
center and the nascent peptide exit tunnel and is apparently
critical for the ability of the ribosome to sense and respond to
specific nascent peptide sequences (Vazquez-Laslop and Man-
kin, in preparation). Posttranscriptional modification of A2503
may be required to optimize this function. In addition, H92,
Acknowledgment. The authors thank Dr. G. Douglas Markham
for SAM synthetase overproducing strain, Dr. Deanna Kroetz and
Dr. Kevan Shokat for the use of radio-HPLCs, Dr. Jack Taunton
for the use of scintillation counter, and Dr. Michael Federle for
useful suggestions during the work. We thank Drs. Robert Cicchillo,
Hening Lin, and Wilfred van der Donk for useful discussions and
comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by the
National Institutes of Health (NIAID R00AI072834 to D.G.F. and
NIAID RO1AI072445 to A.S.M.).
Supporting Information Available: Experimental procedures
for preparation of ribosomes and rRNAs, sequences of the
oligonucleotide primers used for cloning, mutagenesis and in
Vitro transcription (Tables S1-S3), SDS-PAGE analysis of
purified RlmN and Cfr mutants (Figure S1), and negative
controls for HPLC detections of methionine (Figure S2), 5′-
deoxyadenosine (Figure S3), and S-adenosylhomocysteine (Fig-
ure S4) in RlmN and Cfr assay mixtures. This material is
available free of charge via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.
JA910850Y
(58) Kehrenberg, C.; Aarestrup, F. M.; Schwarz, S. Antimicrob. Agents
Chemother. 2007, 51, 483–487.
(59) Nicol, S. M.; Fuller-Pace, F. V. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1995,
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(61) Gutgsell, N. S.; Del Campo, M.; Raychaudhuri, S.; Ofengand, J. RNA
2001, 7, 990–998.
(60) Brunelle, J. L.; Youngman, E. M.; Sharma, D.; Green, R. RNA 2006,
12, 33–39.
(62) Xu, Z.; O’Farrell, H. C.; Rife, J. P.; Culver, G. M. Nat. Struct. Mol.
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