SYNTHESIS AND FUNCTION OF ISOPENTENYL ADENOSINE DERIVATIVES IN TRANSFER-RNA

Isopentenyl adenosine derivatives can be found next to the anticodon ( position 37) in tRNA from both the Bacteria and Eucarya domains. These modified nucleosides improve the efficiency of tRNA in translation, c an increase and decrease translational fidelity, and make the tRNA les s codon context sensitive. In bacteria the synthesis of isopentenyl ad enosine derivatives seems to be linked to iron metabolism and central metabolic pathways.