Identification of the enzyme responsible for 2’-O methylation of tRNA residue 39 in plants

2020 Celebration of Student Research and Creativity presentationModification of tRNA is important for cell growth and translation, and errors can lead to disease. Of the nearly 100 known tRNA modifications, enzymes responsible for several modifications are not known. One such modification is 2’-O-methlyation of residue 39 (Nm39) in plants and animals. The goal of this research is to identify the enzyme responsible for Nm39 in plants by expressing plant tRNA and candidate genes in yeast, which do not form the modification. Presence of Nm39 on tRNA would indicate that the candidate gene is responsible for the modification. Once identified, the human homolog will be identified using bioinformatics.https://youtu.be/I8Yy0VOFi-