Urzymology: experimental access to a key transition in the appearance of enzymes.
J Biol Chem
; 289(44): 30213-30220, 2014 Oct 31.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25210034
ABSTRACT
Urzymes are catalysts derived from invariant cores of protein superfamilies. Urzymes from both aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase classes possess sophisticated catalytic mechanisms pre-steady state bursts, significant transition-state stabilization of both amino acid activation, and tRNA acylation. However, they have insufficient specificity to ensure a fully developed genetic code, suggesting that they participated in synthesizing statistical proteins. They represent a robust experimental platform from which to articulate and test hypotheses both about their own ancestors and about how they, in turn, evolved into modern enzymes. They help reshape numerous paradigms from the RNA World hypothesis to protein structure databases and allostery.
Key words
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Evolution, Molecular
/
Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases
Language:
En
Journal:
J Biol Chem
Year:
2014
Type:
Article