Codon-induced transfer RNA association. A property of transfer RNA involved in its adaptor function?

Abstract

It is shown by equilibrium sedimentation that the binding of cognate codons to tRNAPhe (yeast), tRNAPhe (Escherichia coli), tRNALys, tRNAfMet and of the wobble codon UUU to tRNAPhe (yeast) induces dimerization of codon transfer RNA complexes. Analysis of the sedimentation profiles with a quantitative evaluation of the coupling between sedimentation and association equilibrium provides dimerization constants in the range from 1 X 10(4) to 6 X 10(4) M-1. These results on various tRNAs from different organisms suggest that the codon-induced tRNA association is a general phenomenon. Probably the codon-induced tRNA association facilitates the aminoacyl transfer reaction.