title: Aminoacylation of RNA oligonucleotides: minimalist structures and origin of specificity.
abstract: Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases are divided into two unrelated classes of ten enzymes each. Members from each class specifically aminoacylate small RNA oligonucleotides lacking anticodon sequences. Duplex structures with only four base pairs stabilized by RNA tetraloop motifs are active. Atomic groups on bases and ribose 2'-hydroxyl groups in the RNA minor groove make functional contacts that are essential for aminoacylation and provide the high specificity. A system for specific aminoacylation of small RNA oligonucleotides that is based on sequences proximal to the amino acid attachment site may reflect the small sizes of early synthetases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Musier-Forsyth
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schimmel
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000604:Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005815:Genetic Code; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D012313:RNA; D000604:Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases