Abstract
The difficulty in explaining the origin of genetic coding centres on the need to identify selective advantages that could account for the synthesis of peptidyl-tRNA, the essential intermediate in genetically programmed translation. It is resolved by a recognition of the functional advantages derivable from the post-transcriptional addition of peptide cofactors to RNA apo-catalysts. This enables the formulation of a theory for the origin of the genetic encoding of protein synthesis by RNA.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Cech, T. R. and Bass, B.: 1986,Annu. Rev. Biochem. 55, 599–629.
Darnell, J. E. and Doolittle, W. F.: 1986,Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 1271–1275.
Gilbert, W.: 1986,Nature 319, 618.
Orgel, L. E.: 1989,J. Mol. Evol. 29, 465–474.
Weiner, A. M. and Maizels, N.: 1987,Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 7383–7387.
White III, H. B.: 1976,J. Mol. Evol. 7, 101–104.
Bujalowski, W. and Porschke, D.: 1988,Biophys. Chem. 30, 151–157.
Yarus, M.: 1988,Science 240, 1751–1758.
Wachtershauser, G.: 1988,Microbiol. Rev. 52, 452–484.
Wong, J. T.: 1975,Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72, 1909–1912.
Wong, J. T.: 1976,Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 2336–2340.
Wong, J. T.: 1981,Trends Biochem. Sci. 6, 33–35.
Wong, J. T.: 1984, in Ricard, J. and Cornish-Bowden, A. (eds.),Dynamics of Biochemical Systems, Plenum Press, New York pp. 247–258.
Wong, J. T.: 1988,Microbiol. Sci. 5, 174–181.
Uy, R. and Wold, F.: 1977,Science 198, 890–896.
Towler, D. A. and Gordon, J. I.: 1988,Annu. Rev. Biochem. 57, 69–99.
Reichard, P. and Ehrenberg, A.: 1983,Science 221, 514–519.
Muramatsu, T., Nishikawa, K., Nemoto, F., Kuchion, Y., Nishimura, S., Miyazawa, T., and Yokoyama, S.: 1988,Nature 336, 179–181.
Nishimura, S.: 1979, in Schimmel, P. R., Soll, D., and Abelson, J. N. (eds.),Transfer RNA: Structure, Properties and Recognition, Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, pp. 547–549.
Rohlfing, D. L.: 1976,Science 193, 68–70.
Kenyon, D. H. and Steinman: 1969,Biochemical Predestination, Mcgraw-Hill New York, pp. 182–195.
Walsh, C. T.: 1984,Trends Biochem. Sci. 9, 159–162.
Nomoto, A., Detjen, B., Pozzatti, R., and Wimmer, E.: 1977,Nature 268, 208–213.
Robson, B.: 1980,Trends in Biochem. Sci. 5, 240–244.
Chakravarty, P. K., Mathur, K. B., and Dhar, M. M.:Experientia 229, 786–788.
Gutte, B., Daumigen, M., and Wittschieber, E.: 1979,Nature 281, 650–655.
Lacy, C. L. and Mullins: 1983,Origins of Lige 13, 3–42.
Hopfield, J. J.: 1978,Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 75, 4334–4338.
Lee, S. G., Roskoski Jr., Bauer, and Lipmann, F.: 1973,Biochemistry 12, 398–405.
Lipmann, F.: 1974, in Dose, K., Fox, S. W., Deborin, G. A., and Pavlovskaya, T. E. (eds.),Origin of Life and Evolutionary Biochemistry, Plenum Press, New York and London, pp. 321–330.
Wang, Q. S., Bronskill, P. M., and Wong, J. T.: 1987,Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 255, 176–183.
Weissenbach, J. and Grosjean, H.: 1981,Eur. J. Biochem. 116, 207–213.
Labuda, D. and Porschke, D.: 1983,J. Mol. Biol. 167, 205–209.
Shvedova, T. A., Korneeva, G. A., Otroshchenko, V. A., and Venkstern, T. V.: 1987,Nucleic Acids Res. 15, 1745–1752.
Noller, H. F., Stern, S., Moazed, D., Powers, T., Svensson, P., and Changchien, L. M.: 1987,Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 52, 695–708.
Ruffner, D. E., Dahm, S. C., and Uhlenbeck, O. C.: 1989, in Belfort, M. and Shub, D. A. (eds.),RNA: Catalysis, Splicing, Evolution, Elsevier Amsterdam, pp. 31–41.
Pace, N. R., Reich, C., James, B. D., Olsen, G. J., Pace, B., and Waugh, D. S.: 1987,Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 52, 239–248.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wong, J.TF. Origin of genetically encoded protein synthesis: A model based on selection for RNA peptidation. Origins Life Evol Biosphere 21, 165–176 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01809445
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01809445