A chiral selectivity relaxed paralog of DTD for proofreading tRNA mischarging in Animalia

D-aminoacyl-tRNA deacylase (DTD), a bacterial/eukaryotic trans-editing factor, removes d-amino acids mischarged on tRNAs and achiral glycine mischarged on tRNA(Ala). An invariant cross-subunit Gly-cisPro motif forms the mechanistic basis of l-amino acid rejection from the catalytic site. Here, we present the identification of a DTD variant, named ATD (Animalia-specific tRNA deacylase), that harbors a Gly-transPro motif. The cis-to-trans switch causes a “gain of function” through L-chiral selectivity in ATD resulting in the clearing of l-alanine mischarged on tRNA(Thr)(G4•U69) by eukaryotic AlaRS. The proofreading activity of ATD is conserved across diverse classes of phylum Chordata. Animalia genomes enriched in tRNA(Thr)(G4•U69) genes are in strict association with the presence of ATD, underlining the mandatory requirement of a dedicated factor to proofread tRNA misaminoacylation. The study highlights the emergence of ATD during genome expansion as a key event associated with the evolution of Animalia.