The molecular basis of wobbling: an alternative hypothesis.
The molecular basis of Crick's wobble hypothesis rests upon the assumption that the wobble base (base closest to the 5'-end of the anticodon) is able to shift its position within the anticodon by +/- 2.5 A. Since there are no experimental clues that such shifts do indeed occur, an alternative hypothesis is proposed. It is based upon the observation that a tertiary bond within the tRNA, the C56/G19-bond, is a modified Watson-Crick-bond with the peculiarity of uneven distances between the points of Watson-Crick-contact. Furthermore it is pointed out that C56, as far as its relation to the ribose-phosphate-backbone is concerned, bears a definite resemblance to the wobble base. On these grounds, the C56/G19-bond is discussed as the possible model for all molecular wobble constellations, rendering invalid the need for any shifts within the ribose-phosphate backbone of the anticodonic loop.
Pluhar
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Office of Internal Medicine, Graz, Austria.
D000926:Anticodon / Q000235:genetics*; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics*; D005815:Genetic Code / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics
D000926:Anticodon; D003062:Codon; D012343:RNA, Transfer