Structural Computational Analysis of the Natural History of Class I aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases Suggests their Role in Establishing the Genetic Code.

The evolutionary history of Class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRS) through the reconstruction of ancestral sequences is presented. From structural molecular modeling, we sought to understand its relationship with the acceptor arms and the tRNA anticodon loop, how this relationship was established, and the possible implications in determining the genetic code and the translation system. The results of the molecular docking showed that in 7 out 9 aaRS, the acceptor arm and the anticodon loop bond practically in the same region. Domain accretion process in aaRS and repositioning of interactions between tRNAs and aaRS are illustrated. Based on these results, we propose that the operational code and the anticodon code coexisted, competing for the aaRS catalytic region, while consequently contributed to the stabilization of these proteins.