2.4.2.48 because the Thermoplasma acidophilum enzyme can not be expressed as a soluble protein in Escherichia coli, an expression system using another thermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus kodakarensis is employed. The arcTGT gene in Thermococcus kodakarensis is disrupted, complemented with the Thermoplasma acidophilum arcTGT gene, and tRNALeu variants are expressed. Mass spectrometry analysis of purified tRNALeu variants reveals the modifications of archaeosine13 and archaeosine15 in the wild-type tRNALeu 2.4.2.48 expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) Rosetta 2 strain 2.4.2.48 expressed in Escherichia coli ER2566 cells 2.4.2.48 expressed in Thermococcus kodakarensis 2.4.2.48 gene tgt, overexpression in Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3)/pYB-I-120, subcloning in Escherichia coli strain DH5alpha 2.4.2.48 truncated forms of TGT expressed in Escherichia coli