tRNAs: cellular barcodes for amino acids.
The role of tRNA in translating the genetic code has received considerable attention over the last 50 years, and we now know in great detail how particular amino acids are specifically selected and brought to the ribosome in response to the corresponding mRNA codon. Over the same period, it has also become increasingly clear that the ribosome is not the only destination to which tRNAs deliver amino acids, with processes ranging from lipid modification to antibiotic biosynthesis all using aminoacyl-tRNAs as substrates. Here we review examples of alternative functions for tRNA beyond translation, which together suggest that the role of tRNA is to deliver amino acids for a variety of processes that includes, but is not limited to, protein synthesis.
Banerjee
Rajat
R
Department of Microbiology, Center for RNA Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Chen
Shawn
S
Dare
Kiley
K
Gilreath
Marla
M
Praetorius-Ibba
Mette
M
Raina
Medha
M
Reynolds
Noah M
NM
Rogers
Theresa
T
Roy
Hervé
H
Yadavalli
Srujana S
SS
Ibba
Michael
M
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000235:genetics*; D005815:Genetic Code; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D017393:RNA Editing; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific / Q000378:metabolism*; D046249:Transfer RNA Aminoacylation
D000596:Amino Acids; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu