The new aspects of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARS) are essential proteins found in all livin g organisms. They form a diverse group of enzymes that ensure the fidelity of transfer of genetic information from the DNA into the protein. AARS cata lyse the attachment of amino acids to transfer RNAs and thereby establish t he rules of the genetic code by virtue of matching the nucleotide triplet o f the anticodon with its cognate amino acid. Here we summarise the effects of recent studies on this interesting family of multifunctional enzymes.