Non-enzymatic aminoacylation of an RNA minihelix with an aminoacyl phosphate oligonucleotide.
Efficient aminoacylation of an RNA minihelix (a proposed precursor of tRNA) was achieved without any ribozymes or protein enzymes. The reaction was promoted with a template-like bridging Oligonucleotide and a 5'-aminoacyl-phosphate-oligonucleotide. Aminoacylation was template-dependent and showed high preference for a particular ribose hydroxyl. The 5'-aminoacyl-phosphate-oligonucleotides have the same adenylate linkage as in aminoacyl-AMP--the universal intermediate used in modern aminoacylation systems with aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Thus, the results raise the possibility that this kind of system could have played a role in the transition from the RNA world to the theatre of proteins.
Tamura
Koji
K
The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Schimmel
Paul
P
D049148:Aminoacylation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
D009841:Oligonucleotides; D010710:Phosphates; D012313:RNA