Journal
IUBMB LIFE
Volume 61, Issue 1, Pages 35-39Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/iub.136
Keywords
selenocysteine; tRNASec; SepSecS; PSTK; genetic code
Categories
Funding
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences
- Department of Energy
- National Science Foundation
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Selenocysteine (Sec) is the 21st genetically encoded amino acid found in organisms from all three domains of life. See biosynthesis is unique in that it always proceeds from an aminoacyl-tRNA precursor. Even though See biosynthesis in bacteria was established almost two decades ago, only recently the pathway was elucidated in archaea and eukaryotes. While other aspects of Sec biology have been reviewed previously (Allmang and Krol, Biochimie 2006;88:1561-1.571, Hatfield et al., Prog Nucleic Acid Res Mol Biol 2006;81:97-142, Squires and Berry, IUBMB Life 2008;60:232-235), here we review the biochemistry and evolution of Sec biosynthesis and coding and show how the knowledge of an archaeal cysteine biosynthesis pathway helped to uncover the route to Sec formation in archaea and eukaryotes. (C) 2008 IUBMB
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