%0 Journal Article
%T Welcome to the new tRNA world!
%A Akio Kanai
%J Frontiers in Genetics
%D 2014
%I Frontiers Media
%R 10.3389/fgene.2014.00336
%X Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are one of the classical noncoding RNAs, with lengths of approximately 70¨C100 bases. The secondary structure of tRNAs can be represented as a cloverleaf with four stems, and the three-dimensional structure as an ¡°L¡± shape. Historically, the basic function of the tRNAs as essential components of translation was established in the 1960s, when it was found that each tRNA is charged with a target amino acid by a specific aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, and delivers it to the ribosome during protein synthesis (Crick, 1966; Frank, 2000; Normanly and Abelson, 1989). However, recent studies suggest that the roles of tRNA in cellular regulation go beyond this paradigm. Now, tRNA is recognized as a regulator of many biological processes, and several unique tRNA genes have been discovered. Our understanding of the enzymes involved in tRNA functions has also increased and many tRNA-related diseases have been reported. In response to these exciting data, I have edited this special issue of tRNA, which revisits and summarizes the molecular biology of tRNA. The topics contributed by specialists in the field cover a wide range of tRNA research.
%K transfer RNA
%K Molecular Biology
%K gene diversity
%K pre-tRNA processing
%K base modification
%K new biological functions
%K molecular evolution
%K human diseases
%U http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fgene.2014.00336/full