Life without RNase P.

kavin submitted, created time 8 months 2 days (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The universality of ribonuclease P (RNase P), the ribonucleoprotein essential for transfer RNA (tRNA) 5' maturation, is challenged in the archaeon Nanoarchaeum equitans. In this study, the researchers's findings demonstrate how nature can cope with the loss of the universal and supposedly ancient RNase P through genomic rearrangement at tRNA genes under the pressure of genome condensation.

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Mechanism for expanding the decoding capacity of transfer RNAs by modification of uridines

Luneetty submitted, created time 1 year 7 months (www.nature.com)

One of the most prevalent base modifications involved in decoding is uridine 5-oxyacetic acid at the wobble position of tRNA. It has been known for several decades that this modification enables a single tRNA to decode all four codons in a degenerate codon box. We have determined structures of an anticodon stem-loop of tRNAVal containing the modified uridine with all four valine codons in the decoding site of the 30S ribosomal subunit. An intramolecular hydrogen bond involving the modification helps to prestructure the anticodon loop

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