Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) are the enzymes that catalyze the aminoacylation reaction by covalently linking an amino acid to its cognate tRNA in the first step of protein translation. In mammals, AARSs usually exist in free form or in the form of a multi-tRNA synthetase complex (MSC), and the latter consists of eight AARSs and three non-enzymatic AARS-interacting multi-functional proteins (AIMP1/p43, AIMP2/p38, and AIMP3/p18).

AARSs are responsible for the proper pairing of codons on mRNA with amino acids. AARSs are also involved in RNA splicing, transcriptional regulation, translation, and other aspects of cellular homeostasis. Study of these enzymes is of great interest to the researchers due to its pivotal role in the growth and survival of an organism. AARSs are one of the leading targets for developing novel anti-infective agents. Further, unfolding the interesting structural and functional aspects of these enzymes in the last few years has qualified them as a potential drug target against various diseases.