title: A tiny RNA that catalyzes both aminoacyl-RNA and peptidyl-RNA synthesis.
abstract: A 29-nt RNA catalyst successively forms the aminoacyl ester phe-RNA, and then peptidyl-RNA (phe-phe-RNA), given phenylalanine adenylate (phe-AMP) as substrate. Catalysis of two related reactions at similar rates supports the argument that RNA catalysts would evolve as groups with similar mechanisms. In particular, successive aminoacyl- and peptidyl-RNA synthesis by one RNA suggests that uncoded but RNA-catalyzed peptide synthesis would evolve before the synthesis of coded peptides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309-0347, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Illangasekare
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yarus
mesh_terms: D000215:Acylation; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate; D001483:Base Sequence; D002384:Catalysis; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010649:Phenylalanine; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate; D010649:Phenylalanine; D012313:RNA