A speculation on the origin of protein synthesis (original) (raw)

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The origin of protein synthesis is a complex issue in molecular biology, as it involves understanding how polypeptides could be synthesized from nucleic acid templates before the evolution of sophisticated cellular machinery. This paper proposes a novel mechanism for early protein synthesis that could occur without ribosomes, suggesting that primitive tRNA could bind to mRNA using five base pairs and take on two configurations, potentially leading to the synthesis of the first four amino acids.

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Abstract

It is suggested that protein synthesis may have begun without even a primitive ribosome if the primitive tRNA could take up two configurations and could bind to the messenger RNA with five base-pairs instead of the present three. This idea would impose base sequence restriction on the early messages and on the early genetic code such that the first four amino acids coded were glycine, serine, aspartic acid and aspargine. A possible mechanism is suggested for the polymerization of the early message.

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Author notes

1. G. Pieczenik
   Present address: Department of Biochemistry, Rutgers University, 08903, New Brunswick, N.J., USA

Authors and Affiliations

1. Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Medical Research Council, Hills Road, Cambridge, England
   F. H. C. Crick, S. Brenner, A. Klug & G. Pieczenik

Authors

1. F. H. C. Crick
2. S. Brenner
3. A. Klug
4. G. Pieczenik

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This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Aharon Katzir.

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Crick, F.H.C., Brenner, S., Klug, A. et al. A speculation on the origin of protein synthesis.Origins Life Evol Biosphere 7, 389–397 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00927934

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• Issue date: December 1976
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00927934

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