Abstract
Transfer RNA (tRNA) is the central intellectual property in the evolution of life on Earth. tRNA evolved from repeats and inverted repeats of known sequence. The anticodon and the T stem-loop-stems are homologs with significant conserved sequence identity. A number of models have been advanced to explain tRNA evolution. No 2-minihelix model or accretion model (built a stem at a time) can be correct, in part because of anticodon and T stem-loop-stem identity. Only a 3-minihelix model is adequate.
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Burton, Z.F. The 3-Minihelix tRNA Evolution Theorem. J Mol Evol 88, 234–242 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-020-09928-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-020-09928-2