The Phylogeny of TRNAs Seems to Confirm the Predictions of the Coevolution Theory of the Origin of the Genetic Code

Overview

Journal Orig Life Evol Biosph

Specialties Biology
Molecular Biology

Date 1995 Dec 1

PMID 7494635

Citations 13

Authors

M Di Giulio

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

An extensive analysis of the evolutionary relationships existing between transfer RNAs, performed using parsimony algorithms, is presented. After building up an estimate of the tRNA ancestral sequences, these sequences are then compared using certain methods. The results seem to suggest that the coevolution hypothesis (Wong, J.T., 1975, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 72, 1909-1912) that sees the genetic code as a map of the biosynthetic relationships between amino acids is further supported by these results, as compared to the hypotheses that see the physicochemical properties of amino acids as the main adaptative theme that led to the structuring of the genetic code.

Citing Articles

An Autotrophic Origin for the Coded Amino Acids is Concordant with the Coevolution Theory of the Genetic Code.

Di Giulio M J Mol Evol. 2016; 83(3-4):93-96.

PMID: 27743002 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-016-9760-x.

Non-canonical roles of tRNAs and tRNA mimics in bacterial cell biology.

Katz A, Elgamal S, Rajkovic A, Ibba M Mol Microbiol. 2016; 101(4):545-58.

PMID: 27169680 PMC: 5003029. DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13419.

On how many fundamental kinds of cells are present on Earth: looking for phylogenetic traits that would allow the identification of the primary lines of descent.

Di Giulio M J Mol Evol. 2014; 78(6):313-20.

PMID: 24916656 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-014-9626-z.

Stable tRNA-based phylogenies using only 76 nucleotides.

Widmann J, Harris J, Lozupone C, Wolfson A, Knight R RNA. 2010; 16(8):1469-77.

PMID: 20558546 PMC: 2905747. DOI: 10.1261/rna.726010.

Evidence from glycine transfer RNA of a frozen accident at the dawn of the genetic code.

Bernhardt H, Tate W Biol Direct. 2008; 3:53.

PMID: 19091122 PMC: 2630981. DOI: 10.1186/1745-6150-3-53.

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