Wobble base pair configurations and the Genetic Code

Abstract

It has been proposed that the patterns of specificity and degeneracy present in the genetic code arise primarily out of the way certain H-bonded RNA base pair combinations are allowed, and others disallowed, at the “wobble position” during codon-anticodon pairing. The term “wobble” here refers to the third position of the codon and the first position of the anticodon. Nine RNA bases are taken up for consideration as anticodon wobble bases and their H-bonded pairing properties with the four major RNA bases are examined. Employing DFT at the B3LYP/6-31G* level, the optimized H-bonded configurations of numerous candidate RNA base pairs furnish values of prescribed descriptors of pairing configuration which can screen effectively in most cases between allowed and disallowed pairing combinations. The results can thus account for the specificity and degeneracy of the genetic code in all cases involving these nine RNA bases at the anticodon wobble position.

Biography

R.H. Duncan Lyngdoh received his Ph.D. degree in 1991 from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (Chennai). He is now a Professor at the Department of Chemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India, where he teaches post-graduate courses in organic synthesis and biochemistry. His research involves the application of quantum chemical theories to investigate biological molecules like DNA and RNA. He also studies organic reactive intermediates and the mechanisms of organic reactions. This work has led to 32 research publications so far.