Emergence of the universal genetic code imprinted in an RNA record.

Emergence of the universal genetic code imprinted in an RNA record. Research Abstract Details 

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Emergence of the universal genetic code imprinted in an RNA record. Abstract Text:

Michael J Hohn,Hee-Sung Park,Patrick O'Donoghue,Michael Schnitzbauer,Dieter ,

The molecular basis of the genetic code manifests itself in the interaction of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and their cognate tRNAs. The fundamental biological question regarding these enzymes' role in the evolution of the genetic code remains open. Here we probe this question in a system in which the same tRNA species is aminoacylated by two unrelated synthetases. Should this tRNA possess major identity elements common to both enzymes, this would favor a scenario where the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases evolved in the context of preestablished tRNA identity, i.e., after the universal genetic code emerged. An experimental system is provided by the recently discovered O-phosphoseryl-tRNA synthetase (SepRS), which acylates tRNA(Cys) with phosphoserine (Sep), and the well known cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase, which charges the same tRNA with cysteine. We determined the identity elements of Methanocaldococcus jannaschii tRNA(Cys) in the aminoacylation reaction for the two Methanococcus maripaludis synthetases SepRS (forming Sep-tRNA(Cys)) and cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (forming Cys-tRNA(Cys)). The major elements, the discriminator base and the three anticodon bases, are shared by both tRNA synthetases. An evolutionary analysis of archaeal, bacterial, and eukaryotic tRNA(Cys) sequences predicted additional SepRS-specific minor identity elements (G37, A47, and A59) and suggested the dominance of vertical inheritance for tRNA(Cys) from a single common ancestor. Transplantation of the identified identity elements into the Escherichia coli tRNA(Gly) scaffold endowed facile phosphoserylation activity on the resulting chimera. Thus, tRNA(Cys) identity is an ancient RNA record that depicts the emergence of the universal genetic code before the evolution of the modern aminoacylation systems.

Emergence of the universal genetic code imprinted in an RNA record. Publishing Authors By Initials

MJ Hohn,HS Park,P O'Donoghue,M Schnitzbauer,D ,

For similar nucleic acids, nucleotides, and nucleosides: nucleic acids: rna: rna, transfer research abstracts see: nucleic acids, nucleotides, and nucleosides: nucleic acids: rna: rna, transfer research

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Emergence of the universal genetic code imprinted in an RNA record. Journal Published:

PUBLICATION TYPE: Research Support, U.S. Gov't,

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of

VOLUME: 103

Page Numbers: 18095-100

Journal Abbreviation: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

ISSN: 0027-8424

DAY: 16

MONTH: 11

YEAR: 2006

Emergence of the universal genetic code imprinted in an RNA record. Information

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LANGUAGE: eng

NlmUniqueID: 7505876

Emergence of the universal genetic code imprinted in an RNA record. Keywords Mesh Terms:

KEYWORDS: RNA, Transfer

MESH TERMS: genetics

Chemical & Substance for Abstract: Emergence of the universal genetic code imprinted in an RNA record. Information

Substance Name: RNA, Transfer

Registry Number: 9014-25-9

Grant and Affiliation Information for Emergence of the universal genetic code imprinted in an RNA record.

AFFILIATION: Department of Molecular Biophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8114, USA.

Country: United States

AGENCY: United States NIGMS

GRANT: GM22854

ACRONYM: GM

MEDLINETA: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

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