Genetic code origins: tRNAs older than their synthetases?
Abstract
We present a phylogenetic analysis to determine whether a given tRNA molecule was established in evolution before its cognate aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. The earlier appearance of tRNA versus their metabolically related enzymes is a prediction of the RNA world theory, but the available synthetase and tRNA sequences previously had not allowed a formal comparison of their relative time of appearance. Using data recently obtained from the emerging genome projects, our analysis points to the extant forms of lysyl-tRNA synthetase being preceded in evolution by the establishment of the identity of lysine tRNA.
- Publication:
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- September 1998
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 1998PNAS...9511295D