Primordial reading of genetic information - PubMed (original) (raw)
Primordial reading of genetic information
R Cedergren et al. Biosystems. 1986.
Abstract
From the consideration of general features of the anticodon loop and stem in tRNA and the properties of present-day translation, we put forward a plausible scenario to explain the evolution of the genetic code from a highly ambiguous triplet code to the present refined decoding system. Our model based on the reading of the code suggests that the anticodon of primordial tRNA could adopt either the 3' or the 5' stacked conformation permitting the formation of the "best two out of three" base pairs, either the first and second codon position or the second and third. Progressive acquisition of precise structural constraint and the modification of bases in the anticodon loop would give way eventually to the less ambiguous "two out of three" reading mechanism having only the 3' stacked conformation. Further adjustments of base composition and modification leads inevitably to the present generalized code. In this way the primordial code encoding 4-8 amino acids or related derivates evolves smoothly to the present code having 20 amino acids.
Similar articles
- Circular code motifs in transfer and 16S ribosomal RNAs: a possible translation code in genes.
Michel CJ. Michel CJ. Comput Biol Chem. 2012 Apr;37:24-37. doi: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2011.10.002. Epub 2011 Oct 11. Comput Biol Chem. 2012. PMID: 22129773 - Evolution of the genetic code through progressive symmetry breaking.
Lenstra R. Lenstra R. J Theor Biol. 2014 Apr 21;347:95-108. doi: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2014.01.002. Epub 2014 Jan 14. J Theor Biol. 2014. PMID: 24434741 - Novel features in the genetic code and codon reading patterns in Neurospora crassa mitochondria based on sequences of six mitochondrial tRNAs.
Heckman JE, Sarnoff J, Alzner-DeWeerd B, Yin S, RajBhandary UL. Heckman JE, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Jun;77(6):3159-63. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.6.3159. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980. PMID: 6447871 Free PMC article. - tRNA's wobble decoding of the genome: 40 years of modification.
Agris PF, Vendeix FA, Graham WD. Agris PF, et al. J Mol Biol. 2007 Feb 9;366(1):1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2006.11.046. Epub 2006 Nov 15. J Mol Biol. 2007. PMID: 17187822 Review. - The non-standard genetic code of Candida spp.: an evolving genetic code or a novel mechanism for adaptation?
Santos MA, Ueda T, Watanabe K, Tuite MF. Santos MA, et al. Mol Microbiol. 1997 Nov;26(3):423-31. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.1997.5891961.x. Mol Microbiol. 1997. PMID: 9402014 Review.
Cited by
- Methylated nucleosides in tRNA and tRNA methyltransferases.
Hori H. Hori H. Front Genet. 2014 May 23;5:144. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00144. eCollection 2014. Front Genet. 2014. PMID: 24904644 Free PMC article. Review.