tRNA Core Hypothesis for the Transition from the RNA World to the Ribonucleoprotein World

Farías, Sávio Torres de; Rêgo, Thaís Gaudencio do; José, Marco V.

doi:10.3390/life6020015

Cited by 39 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 44 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Similar results were found in a separate study [63]. These remarkable results suggest both tRNA and tRNA ribosomal relics hold deep phylogenetic information indicating they both stored genetic information for ancient proteins and acted as ancient genomes.…”

Section: Genomic Accretion Of Trna Building Blockssupporting

confidence: 87%

Piecemeal Buildup of the Genetic Code, Ribosomes, and Genomes from Primordial tRNA Building Blocks

Caetano-Anollés

Caetano‐Anollés

2016

Life

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The origin of biomolecular machinery likely centered around an ancient and central molecule capable of interacting with emergent macromolecular complexity. tRNA is the oldest and most central nucleic acid molecule of the cell. Its co-evolutionary interactions with aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase protein enzymes define the specificities of the genetic code and those with the ribosome their accurate biosynthetic interpretation. Phylogenetic approaches that focus on molecular structure allow reconstruction of evolutionary timelines that describe the history of RNA and protein structural domains. Here we review phylogenomic analyses that reconstruct the early history of the synthetase enzymes and the ribosome, their interactions with RNA, and the inception of amino acid charging and codon specificities in tRNA that are responsible for the genetic code. We also trace the age of domains and tRNA onto ancient tRNA homologies that were recently identified in rRNA. Our findings reveal a timeline of recruitment of tRNA building blocks for the formation of a functional ribosome, which holds both the biocatalytic functions of protein biosynthesis and the ability to store genetic memory in primordial RNA genomic templates.

show abstract

Section: Genomic Accretion Of Trna Building Blockssupporting

confidence: 87%

Piecemeal Buildup of the Genetic Code, Ribosomes, and Genomes from Primordial tRNA Building Blocks

Caetano-Anollés

Caetano‐Anollés

2016

Life

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Then, analyzes of sequences and secondary structures of ribosomes suggested that these derived from tRNAs also functioned as a protogenome [82]. The very parsimonious syncretic model "tRNA core hypothesis" assumes that some proto-tRNAs were classical tRNAs and also functioned as rRNAs and mRNAs, a self-recognition between these molecules allowed to obtain proto-proteins [88].…”

Section: Trnas At the Origin Of All The Nucleic Members Of The Rna/prmentioning

confidence: 99%

True Mitochondrial tRNA Punctuation and Initiation Using Overlapping Stop and Start Codons at Specific and Conserved Positions

Faure¹,

Barthélémy²

2018

Mitochondrial DNA - New Insights

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In all the taxa and genomic systems, numerous trn genes (specifying tRNA) exhibit at specific conserved positions nucleotide triplets corresponding to stop codons (TAG/TAA). Similarly, relatively high frequencies of start codons (ATG/ATA) occur in fungi/metazoan mitochondrial-trn genes. The last nucleotide of these triplets is the first involved in the 5′-Dor 5′-T-stem, respectively. Their frequencies are tRNA species dependent. The products of these genes which bear one or two types of these codons are called ss-tRNAs (for stop/start). Metazoan mt-genomes are generally very compact, and many same strand overlapping sequences may simultaneously code for tRNAs and mRNAs. However, this study suggests that overlaps are not a direct mechanism to substantially reduce genome size. For proteinencoding genes, occulting possible overlaps, there are only alternative start codons and/or truncated stop codons, but the first putative in-frame standard initiation codon or complete stop codon is in the upstream or downstream overlapping ss-trn sequences, respectively. Even if, to date, experimental data are missing, stress signals might regulate producing extended or not proteins. Finally, possible implications of tRNA/mRNA hybrid molecules in the "RNA world" to "RNA/protein world" transition will be discussed.

show abstract

“…This leads us back to the idea of a proto-ribosome preceding the LUCA (Fox 2016b;Fox and Naik 2004;Bowman et al 2015). In one novel hypothetical scenario, ancient versions of transfer RNAs (tRNA) could enable the origin of the first genes (mRNA), while a proto-PTC (rRNA) and proto-tRNAs formed a proto-translation system, followed by the emergence of metabolic pathways (de Farias et al 2016). In addition to what was mentioned earlier about the protoribosome, it has been shown that a quantum mechanical theoretical model of such a system based on coordinates of known crystal structures of existing ribosomes, fits well with energetic stability of such a proto-ribosome structure and its attachment to substrates (Huang et al 2013).…”

Section: Molecular Mutualism or Symbiosis Between Polymers Of Nucleotmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Emergence of Life

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of this article is to provide the reader with an overview of the different possible scenarios for the emergence of life, to critically assess them and, according to the conclusions we reach, to analyze whether similar processes could have been conducive to independent origins of life on the several icy moons of the Solar System. Instead of directly proposing a concrete and unequivocal cradle of life on Earth, we focus on describing the different requirements that are arguably needed for the transition between non-life to life. We Ocean Worlds Edited by 56 Page 2 of 53 E. Camprubí et al.approach this topic from geological, biological, and chemical perspectives with the aim of providing answers in an integrative manner. We reflect upon the most prominent origins hypotheses and assess whether they match the aforementioned abiogenic requirements. Based on the conclusions extracted, we address whether the conditions for abiogenesis are/were met in any of the oceanic icy moons.

show abstract

tRNA Core Hypothesis for the Transition from the RNA World to the Ribonucleoprotein World

Cited by 39 publications

References 44 publications

Piecemeal Buildup of the Genetic Code, Ribosomes, and Genomes from Primordial tRNA Building Blocks

Piecemeal Buildup of the Genetic Code, Ribosomes, and Genomes from Primordial tRNA Building Blocks

True Mitochondrial tRNA Punctuation and Initiation Using Overlapping Stop and Start Codons at Specific and Conserved Positions

The Emergence of Life

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About