Skip to main content
. 2017 Apr 4;7(2):35. doi: 10.3390/biom7020035

Figure 5.

Figure 5

Modifications in decoding and anticodon loop structure. (A) The interaction of the anticodon bases (34–36) of a tRNA with the corresponding bases of the mRNA codons (3, 2, 1). A wobble interaction is possible between codon base 3 and anticodon base 34. The latter is frequently modified and directs the wobble interactions with the third codon base; (B) The standard genetic code is illustrated as a simple decoding table, 2-fold degenerate codon boxes are colored yellow, 4-fold degenerate boxes are blue. Start and stop codons are colored green and red, respectively; (C) Stereo image of the well-structured anticodon loop of tRNALys from E. coli. Modifications mnm5s2U34 and t6A37 prevent wrong base pairing inside the 7-nucleotide loop and promote the formation of the conserved U-turn motif. The stacked anticodon bases are located on the same side of the loop. PDB: 1FL8 [91]; (D) Stereo image of a collapsed and unmodified anticodon loop of tRNATyr from Bacillus subtilis. Here, bases 32 and 38 as well as 33 and 37 interact with each other and the U-turn motif is missing. The anticodon bases are not ordered and on opposite sides of the loop. PDB: 2LAC [89].