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Aminoacylation of tRNA. Magnesium requirement and spermidine effect
Author(s) -
Thiebe R.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(75)80901-x
Subject(s) - aminoacylation , spermidine , transfer rna , chemistry , physics , stereochemistry , humanities , philosophy , biochemistry , rna , enzyme , gene
The aminoacylation of tRNA has been fommlated as a two step reaction [ 11. The first reaction is the activation of the amino acid, and the second is the transfer of the activated amino acid onto the tRNA. Takeda and co-workers have proposed that only the first reaction requires magnesium ions; whereas, the magnesium ions are not necessary for the overall reaction [2,3]. This concept has caused confusion and necessitated a revision of the theory of the two step reaction [5]. We have reinvestigated the effects of spermidine and magnesium ions on the aminoacylation of several tRNAs according to the procedures previously reported [ 2-41. The experiments described herein lead to conclusions essentially different from those of Takeda and Igarashi [2]. Magnesium ions are essential in the aminoacylation of most, if not all tRNAs and cannot be substituted by spermidine.