Correlation of Biological Activities with Structural Features of Transfer RNA
1977; Academic Press; Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/s0079-6603(08)60468-7
ISSN2211-9108
Autores Tópico(s)RNA Research and Splicing
ResumoThis chapter discusses that transfer RNA (tRNA) is a class of small RNA molecules of molecular weight ratio (Mr) about 25,000, and is becoming more and more intriguing as it is found to be implicated in many activities other than those associated with its traditional role in protein biosynthesis. There are of the order of 55 different species of tRNA in a particular cell type, and they appear to arise from longer precursor tRNA molecules. The precursor molecules are primary gene products synthesized by RNA polymerase under the direction of the DNA genome. One of the characteristics of tRNAs is their high content of modified bases compared with other RNA molecules. The chapter reviews that a three-dimensional structure for one tRNA species is known; there is interest in attempting to consider the functions of tRNA in terms of this structure. Transfer RNA plays a central role in protein biosynthesis, and much more is known about the biochemistry of the processes involved than in any other function. It is therefore probably more feasible to relate structure and function in this field. The additional activities or functions are listed for future interest. The chapter also discusses that the structural integrity of the molecule as a whole depends upon the central part, where elements of four chains come close together and a number of base triples or pairs are found.
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