title: Aminoacyl-RNA synthesis catalyzed by an RNA.
abstract: An RNA has been selected that rapidly aminoacylates its 2'(3') terminus when provided with phenylalanyl-adenosine monophosphate. That is, the RNA accelerates the same aminoacyl group transfer catalyzed by protein aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetases. The best characterized RNA reaction requires both Mg2+ and Ca2+. These results confirm a necessary prediction of the RNA world hypothesis and represent efficient RNA reaction (> or = 10(5) times accelerated) at a carbonyl carbon, exemplifying a little explored type of RNA catalysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309-0347.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Illangasekare
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nickles
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yarus
mesh_terms: D000215:Acylation; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D049148:Aminoacylation; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D006016:Glycolates / Q000378:metabolism; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism*; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006016:Glycolates; D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate; D010649:Phenylalanine; D012313:RNA; C017620:phenylalanyl-5'-AMP; C008586:2-naphthoxyacetic acid; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium