There are 10 known putative pseudouridine synthase genes in
Escherichia coli. The products of six have been previously
assigned, one to formation of the single pseudouridine in 16S
RNA, three to the formation of seven pseudouridines in 23S RNA,
and three to the formation of three pseudouridines in tRNA (one
synthase makes pseudouridine in 23S RNA and tRNA). Here we show
that the remaining four putative synthase genes make bona fide
pseudouridine synthases and identify which pseudouridines they
make. RluB (formerly YciL) and RluE (formerly YmfC) make
pseudouridine2605 and pseudouridine2457, respectively, in 23S
RNA. RluF (formerly YjbC) makes the newly discovered
pseudouridine2604 in 23S RNA, and TruC (formerly YqcB) makes
pseudouridine65 in tRNAIle1 and tRNAAsp.
Deletion of each of these synthase genes individually had no
effect on exponential growth in rich media at 25 °C, 37
°C, or 42 °C. A strain lacking RluB and RluF also showed
no growth defect under these conditions. Mutation of a conserved
aspartate in a common sequence motif, previously shown to be
essential for the other six E. coli pseudouridine
synthases and several yeast pseudouridine synthases, also caused
a loss of in vivo activity in all four of the synthases studied
in this work.