Aminoacyl-trna Synthetases

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are a family of enzymes that are essential for all living organisms. They catalyze the attachment of amino acids to their cognate tRNAs and thus play a key role in translating genetic information from DNA into proteins. The 20 different aaRSs are further divided into two classes, class I and class II, based on the type of active site functionalities. Class I aaRSs comprise multiple active sites for amino acid loading, and class II is a monomeric enzyme composed of a single active site. Mutations in aaRSs are involved in various diseases including muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, and cancer. In addition, aaRSs have potential for therapeutic applications in gene therapy, drug delivery, and diagnosis of diseases.