Amino Acid and Anticodon Enhance Metabolic Reaction Rates Weakly but Specifically: Genetic Code World

Abstract

Some hydrophilic amino acids such as glutamic acid, lysine, cysteine, and tyrosine having the side chains whose pK_R are in or near the physiological pH range were shown to act as rate-enhancers or catalysts in various metabolic reactions weakly but specifically, as well as histidine discussed earlier. Anticodonic tri-ribonucleotides corresponding to the above amino acid catalysts (for example, UpUpU to lysine) also acted as catalysts similarly in each metabolic reaction. The primitive cell containing these molecules and metabolites could be the first minimal biomolecular system with metabolism and inheritance, possibly called as genetic code world.