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tRNAs: Cellular barcodes for amino acids
Author(s) -
Banerjee Rajat,
Chen Shawn,
Dare Kiley,
Gilreath Marla,
Praetorius-Ibba Mette,
Raina Medha,
Reynolds Noah M.,
Rogers Theresa,
Roy Hervé,
Yadavalli Srujana S.,
Ibba Michael
Publication year - 2010
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/j.febslet.2009.11.013
Subject(s) - genetic code , transfer rna , amino acid , ribosome , protein biosynthesis , translation (biology) , aminoacyl trna , stop codon , computational biology , biology , messenger rna , biochemistry , chemistry , rna , gene
The role of tRNA in translating the genetic code has received considerable attention over the last 50 years, and we now know in great detail how particular amino acids are specifically selected and brought to the ribosome in response to the corresponding mRNA codon. Over the same period, it has also become increasingly clear that the ribosome is not the only destination to which tRNAs deliver amino acids, with processes ranging from lipid modification to antibiotic biosynthesis all using aminoacyl‐tRNAs as substrates. Here we review examples of alternative functions for tRNA beyond translation, which together suggest that the role of tRNA is to deliver amino acids for a variety of processes that includes, but is not limited to, protein synthesis.