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PMID: 279919 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Origin of the genetic code: a testable hypothesis based on tRNA structure, sequence, and kinetic proofreading.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 75 ·No. 9 ·1978-09-00 ·Pages 4334-8

Hopfield JJ

Abstract

We hypothesize that the origin of the genetic code is associated with the structure of the tRNA that existed in primal cells. The sequences of modern tRNA contain correlations which can be understood as "fossil" evidence of the secondary structure of primal tRNA. Kinetic proofreading through diffusion can amplify a low level of intrinsic selectivity of tRNA for its amino acid. Experimental tests of the theory are suggested.

MeSH Terms
Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases/metabolism Anticodon Base Sequence Biological Evolution Cell Physiological Phenomena Codon Genetic Code Hydrogen Bonding Kinetics Nucleic Acid Conformation Protein Biosynthesis RNA, Transfer/genetics
Chemicals
Anticodon Codon RNA, Transfer Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases
Authors & Affiliations
1 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Hopfield J J
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29 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.75.9.4334
Published
1978-09-00
Pages
4334-8
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC336109
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.75.9.4334 PMC Full Text View journal details
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