NDLI: Hypothesis: Emergence of Translation as a Result of RNA Helicase Evolution

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Zenkin, Nikolay
Copyright Year	2012
Abstract	The origin of translation and the genetic code is one of the major mysteries of evolution. The advantage of templated protein synthesis could have been achieved only when the translation apparatus had already become very complex. This means that the translation machinery, as we know it today, must have evolved towards some different essential function that subsequently sub-functionalised into templated protein synthesis. The hypothesis presented here proposes that translation originated as the result of evolution of a primordial RNA helicase, which has been essential for preventing dying out of the RNA organism in sterile double-stranded form. This hypothesis emerges because modern ribosome possesses RNA helicase activity that likely dates back to the RNA world. I hypothesise that codon–anticodon interactions of tRNAs with mRNA evolved as a mechanism used by RNA helicase, the predecessor of ribosomes, to melt RNA duplexes. In this scenario, peptide bond formation emerged to drive unidirectional movement of the helicase via a molecular ratchet mechanism powered by Brownian motion. I propose that protein synthesis appeared as a side product of helicase activity. The first templates for protein synthesis were functional RNAs (ribozymes) that were unwound by the helicase, and the first synthesised proteins were of random or non-sense sequence. I further suggest that genetic code emerged to avoid this randomness. The initial genetic code thus emerged as an assignment of amino acids to codons according to the sequences of the pre-existing RNAs to take advantage of the side products of RNA helicase function.
Starting Page	249
Ending Page	256
Page Count	8
File Format	PDF
ISSN	00222844
Journal	Journal of Molecular Evolution
Volume Number	74
Issue Number	5-6
e-ISSN	14321432
Language	English
Publisher	Springer-Verlag
Publisher Date	2012-04-28
Publisher Place	New York
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Evolution of ribosome tRNA RNA world Ribozyme Evolution Plant Genetics & Genomics Microbiology Evolutionary Biology Cell Biology Animal Genetics and Genomics Plant Sciences
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Genetics Molecular Biology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
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