Transfer RNAs for chemically related amino acids show sequence similarities

Abstract

Multidimensional scaling analysis of transfer RNA sequences from procaryotic and eucaryotic cell types reveals a clustering of transfer RNA for chemically similar amino acids. Two-way contingency table analysis of these sequences indicates that the bases at nine positions are correlated with transfer RNA membership in one of six groups. The nine positions and bases associated with group membership may be remnants of primitive transfer RNA-like molecules.