Some evidence of the enzymatic conversion of bovine suppressor phosphoseryl-tRNA to selenocysteyl-tRNA.

In order to clarify the mechanisms of selenocysteine incorporation into glutathione peroxidase, some evidence to show the in vitro conversion of phosphoseryl-tRNA to selenocysteyl-tRNA is reported. [3H]Phosphoseryl-tRNA was incubated in a reaction mixture composed of SeO2, glutathione and NADPH in the presence of selenium-transferase partially purified. Analyses of amino acids on the product tRNA showed that a part (4%) of [3H]phosphoseryl-tRNA was changed to [3H]selenocysteyl-tRNA. The conversion from seryl-tRNAsu or major seryl-tRNAIGA was not found. Selenium-transferase was essential for the conversion. [3H]Selenocysteine, liberated from the tRNA, was modified with iodoacetic acid. The product was confirmed to be carboxymethyl-selenocysteine by two-dimensional TLC. Selenocysteyl-tRNAsu should be used to synthesize glutathione peroxidase by co-translational mechanisms.