PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ilana Agmon
AU  - Itay Fayerverker
AU  - Tal Mor
TI  - Coding triplets in the transfer RNA arm and their role in present and past tRNA recognition
AID  - 10.1101/559948
DP  - 2019 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 559948
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/02/25/559948.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/02/25/559948.full
AB  - Background The evolutionary pathway of tRNA established the linking of the genetic code and protein synthesis, thus, revealing the characteristics of the prebiotic tRNA is crucial for presenting a feasible scenario for the emergence of life.Results Analysis of bacterial tRNA sequences reveals that for nine amino acids, mostly those considered to be the most ancient ones, the acceptor-TψC arm carries cognate coding triplets far beyond statistical expectation. The contemporary determinants for the recognition of tRNAs and minihelices by the cognate synthetases and by EF-Tu, are part of these conserved triplets. We also find a strong correlation between the extent of the coding triplet conservation and amino acids whose contemporary synthetases belong to class Ila.Conclusions Identification of conserved coding triplets within the tRNA acceptor-TψC stem, along with the analysis of their distinctive layout, is suggestive of a continuous evolutionary path that could have led to the appearance of the early translation system.aaamino acidaaRSaminoacyl-tRNA synthetaseACanticodonC/ACcodon and/or anticodon tripletPre-3’end10 mer string preceding the tRNA 3’end