"A speculation on the origin of protein synthesis"

Date:: 1976

Reference:: PP/CRI/I/1/30

Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: "A speculation on the origin of protein synthesis". Source: Wellcome Collection.

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mRNA mRNA Fig. 2. Each vertical line represents a base. The dots on the messenger RNA show the phase in which it should be read. The representation of the tRNA molecules has been greatly oversimplified. (A) The tRNA in the FH configuration with the nascent polypeptide, P n , attached, sits on the mRNA making five base-pairs. (B) The tRNA carrying the next amino acid, A, goes onto the mRNA in the hf configura tion, also making five base-pairs. (C) The polypeptide chain is transferred to the amino acid to give the polypeptide P n + 1 . (D) The tRNA carrying the nascent peptide flips to the FH configuration. The tRNA which has given up its amino acid is now held by only three base-pairs so that it will shortly fall off, giving a situation similar to that of Figure 2A but moved along three bases. These figures are purely explanatory and show neither the correct scale nor the relative orientations of the components.