| Abstract: | The mechanism of the unique and specific association of a given amino acid to its t-RNA is investigated by theoretical methods. Several possible schemes are proposed to explain specificity. The physical forces which act within these mechanisms are illustrated by the computer simulation of probable interactions between glycine and nucleotide bases and base pairs. It is demonstrated that glycine has direct and selective affinities for the nucleotide bases and that these interactions are principally determined by the polar groups. Energies have been calculated for the interaction of glycine with several base pairs. From these, the possibility that specificity arises through direct complexing of an amino acid with its anticodon is evaluated. |
