The origin of the genetic code: amino acids as cofactors in an RNA world
Abstract
The genetic code, understood as the specific assignment of amino acids to nucleotide triplets, might have preceded the existence of translation. Amino acids became utilized as cofactors by ribozymes in a metabolically complex RNA world. Specific charging ribozymes linked amino acids to corresponding RNA handles, which could basepair with different ribozymes, via an anticodon hairpin, and so deliver the cofactor to the ribozyme. Growing of the 'handle' into a presumptive tRNA was possible while function was retained and modified throughout. A stereochemical relation between some amino acids and cognate anticodons/codons is likely to have been important in the earliest assignments. Recent experimental findings, including selection for ribozymes catalyzing peptide-bond formation and those utilizing an amino acid cofactor, hold promise that scenarios of this major transition can be tested.
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A stereochemical relation between some amino acids and cognate anticodons/codons is likely to have been a significant influence in the earliest assignments.
“A stereochemical relation between some amino acids and cognate anticodons/codons is likely to have been a significant influence in the earliest assignments [107].”
From The Origin of Prebiotic Information System in the Peptide/RNA World: A Simulation Model of the Evolution of Translation and the Genetic Code (2019) · cites this paper as [107]
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- Authors
- Szathmáry, E.
- Affiliations
- Eötvös Loránd University (HU)
- Corresponding author
- Szathmáry, Eörs
- ORCID
- Szathmáry, Eörs
- Venue
- Trends in Genetics
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1999-06
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 223-229
- ISSN
- 0168-9525 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2101999834
- Cited by
- 207
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 0.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Trends in Genetics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Ministry of Education
- Hungarian Scientific Research Fund
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Keywords
- origin of the genetic code, RNA world, ribozymes, anticodon, peptide bond formation, tRNA evolution
- MeSH terms
- Amino Acids, Anticodon, Codon, Genetic Code, Models, Genetic, Nucleic Acid Conformation, RNA, Protein Biosynthesis, RNA, Catalytic
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