Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Quantitative adaptation of isoacceptor tRNAs to mRNA codons of alanine, glycine and serine

Nature volume 260, pages 805–806 (1976)Cite this article

Abstract

THE optimum efficiency of protein biosynthesis depends on the availability of aminoacyl-transfer RNAs (tRNAs) in the neighbourhood of active polysomes, among other factors. The intracellular tRNA level is directly proportional to the composition of the amino acids incorporated into proteins being synthesised1. This continuous and selective adjustment takes place in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and in non-differentiated as well as in highly specialised cell systems2. We report here that such a proportionality takes place at the molecular level between the frequency of synoinomous codons in messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and the distribution of the corresponding isoacceptor tRNAs. A correlation was found for the alanine, glycine and serine codons from viral nucleic acids and eukaroytic iso-tRNA sets fractionated on reversed-phase chromatography as well as for the preponderant tRNAs involved in the translation of fibroin mRNA in the posterior silk gland of the silkworm Bombyx mori L.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Garel, J. P., Virmaux, N., and Mandel, P., Bull. Soc. Chim. biol., 52, 987–1060 (1970).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Garel, J. P., J. theor. Biol., 43, 211–225 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Grantham, R., Nature new Biol., 237, 265–266 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Ninio, J., Progr. Nucl. Acid Res. molec. Biol., 13, 301–337 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Reeves, R. H., et al., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 60, 1450–1457 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Müller, P., Wehrli, W., and Staehelin, M., Biochemistry, 10, 1885–1890 (1971).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hatfield, D., and Portugal, F. H., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 67, 1200–1206 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. White, B. N., Tener, G. M., Holden, J., and Suzuki, D. T., Devl Biol., 33, 185–195 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Gonano, F., Chiarugi, V. P., Pirro, G., and Marini, M., Biochemistry, 10, 900–908 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Anderson, W. F., Biochemistry, 8, 3687–3691 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Smith, D. W. E., and McNamara, A. L., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 269, 67–77 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ortwerth, B. J., Biochemistry, 10, 4190–4197 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Gallo, R. C., and Pestka, S. J., J. molec. Biol., 52, 195–219 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Volkers, S. A. S., and Taylor, M. W., Biochemistry, 10, 488–497 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Beck, G., Hentzen, D., and Ebel, J. P., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 213, 55–67 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Barrell, B. G., and Clark, B. F. C., Handbook of Nucleic Acid Sequences, 81–92 (Joynson-Bruvvers, Oxford, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Fiers, W., et al. Nature, 256, 273–278 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Vandenberghe, A., Min Jou, W., and Fiers, W., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 72, 2559–2562 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Guilley, H., Jonard, G., Richards, K. E., and Hirth, L., Eur. J. Biochem., 54, 145–153 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Air, G. M., Blackburn, E. H., Sanger, F., and Coulan, A. R., J. molec. Biol., 96, 703–719 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Suzuki, Y., and Suzuki, E., J. molec. Biol., 88, 393–407 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Kirimura, J., and Suzuki, T., Bull. agr. chem. Soc. Japan, 36, 265–268 (1962).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Suzuki, Y., and Brown, D. D., J. molec. Biol., 63, 409–429 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Matsuzaki, K., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 114, 222–226 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Garel, J. P., Mandel, P., Chavancy, G., and Daillie, J., FEBS Lett., 7, 327–329 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Chavancy, G., Daillie, J., and Garel, J. P., Biochimie, 53, 1187–1194 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Delaney, P., and Siddiqui, M. A. O., Devl Biol, 44, 54–62 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Majima, R., Kawakami, M., and Shimura, K., J. Biochem., 78, 391–400 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Chavancy, G., Garel, J. P., and Daillie, J., FFBS Lett., 49, 380–384 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Garel, J. P., Mandel, P., Chavancy, G., and Daillie, J., FEBS Lett., 12, 249–252 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Garel, J. P., Hentzen, D., and Daillie, J., FEBS Lett., 39, 359–363 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Zaitseva, G. N., Ermishkin, V. P., Dynga, L. O., and Belozerskii, A. N., Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 180, 488–491 (1968).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Chen, G. S., and Siddiqui, M. A. Q., Archs Biochem. Biophys., 161, 109–117 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Départment de Biologie, Université Claude Bernard, 69621, Villeurbanne, France

    JEAN-PIERRE GAREL

Authors
  1. JEAN-PIERRE GAREL
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

GAREL, JP. Quantitative adaptation of isoacceptor tRNAs to mRNA codons of alanine, glycine and serine. Nature 260, 805–806 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/260805a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/260805a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing