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Research Article

Kinetic Proofreading: A New Mechanism for Reducing Errors in Biosynthetic Processes Requiring High Specificity

J. J. Hopfield
  1. Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08540
  2. Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974

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PNAS October 1, 1974 71 (10) 4135-4139; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.71.10.4135
J. J. Hopfield
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Abstract

The specificity with which the genetic code is read in protein synthesis, and with which other highly specific biosynthetic reactions take place, can be increased above the level available from free energy differences in intermediates or kinetic barriers by a process defined here as kinetic proofreading. A simple kinetic pathway is described which results in this proofreading when the reaction is strongly but nonspecifically driven, e.g., by phosphate hydrolysis. Protein synthesis, amino acid recognition, and DNA replication, all exhibit the features of this model. In each case, known reactions which otherwise appear to be useless or deleterious complications are seen to be essential to the proofreading function.

  • protein synthesis
  • DNA replication
  • amino-acid recognition
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Kinetic Proofreading: A New Mechanism for Reducing Errors in Biosynthetic Processes Requiring High Specificity
J. J. Hopfield
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Oct 1974, 71 (10) 4135-4139; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.71.10.4135

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Kinetic Proofreading: A New Mechanism for Reducing Errors in Biosynthetic Processes Requiring High Specificity
J. J. Hopfield
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Oct 1974, 71 (10) 4135-4139; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.71.10.4135
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