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Transfer-RNA, an early gene?

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Abstract

The theory of self-reproductive molecular systems involves the consequence that translation must have started from a selected distribution of RNA molecules, that comprised GC-rich sequences of a length < 100 nucleotides. This implies a joint function of messenger and adaptor, which both had to be recruited from the same mutant distribution. The reconstruction of tRNA precursors yields such a molecule showing some reverberation of a codon pattern GNC. These findings suggest that tRNA has been the earliest component of the translation machinery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für biophysikalische Chemie, D-3400, Göttingen

    Manfred Eigen & Ruthild Winkler-Oswatitsch

Authors
  1. Manfred Eigen
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  2. Ruthild Winkler-Oswatitsch
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Additional information

We are most indebted to W.C. Gardiner for many helpful suggestions and comments. D. Hellwig kindly assisted us in the evaluation of data by providing us with suitable computer programs.

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Eigen, M., Winkler-Oswatitsch, R. Transfer-RNA, an early gene?. Naturwissenschaften 68, 282–292 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01047470

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