Subject: Amino Acid Chirality

From: Iraj Daizadeh <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 11:21:59 -0500 (EST)

Hi,

Two-level systems are interesting systems. Examples include electron
transfer (fundamental in photosynthesis and mitochondrial respiration),
ammonia inversion problem, laser/maser, tautomerism in benzene, and so
on... One interesting system of evolutionary importance must be the
inversion of configuration of amino acid handedness. 

Why? Well it seems to me that
if a configuration inversion occurs on the time scales of million of
years, then tRNA must adapt to this in some way. How? I dont know.
Further, certain affects on the central dogma can be tested by measuring
time scales of the inversion processes in certain ancient amino acids...

Any thoughts?

Iraj.

Iraj Daizadeh, Ph. D.
Harvard University
Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology
The Biological Laboratories, Box #140
16 Divinity Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 495-0783
       (617) 495-0560
Fax:   (617) 496-4313
Email: [email-masked]