title: The ribosome as a missing link in the evolution of life.
abstract: Many steps in the evolution of cellular life are still mysterious. We suggest that the ribosome may represent one important missing link between compositional (or metabolism-first), RNA-world (or genes-first) and cellular (last universal common ancestor) approaches to the evolution of cells. We present evidence that the entire set of transfer RNAs for all twenty amino acids are encoded in both the 16S and 23S rRNAs of Escherichia coli K12; that nucleotide sequences that could encode key fragments of ribosomal proteins, polymerases, ligases, synthetases, and phosphatases are to be found in each of the six possible reading frames of the 16S and 23S rRNAs; and that every sequence of bases in rRNA has information encoding more than one of these functions in addition to acting as a structural component of the ribosome. Ribosomal RNA, in short, is not just a structural scaffold for proteins, but the vestigial remnant of a primordial genome that may have encoded a self-organizing, self-replicating, auto-catalytic intermediary between macromolecules and cellular life.
authors.affiliation: School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3QY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Root-Bernstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Electronic address: rootbern@msu.edu.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Root-Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D048168:Escherichia coli K12 / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011336:Probability; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S; D012343:RNA, Transfer
keywords: Messenger RNA; Protein synthesis; RNA world; Ribosomal RNA; Transfer RNA