Transfer RNA in aging Drosophila: I. Extent of aminoacylation.

Transfer RNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases have been isolated from 5 day and 35 day old Drosophila melanogaster males. Transfer RNA isolated from old males cannot be aminoacylated to the same extent as tRNA from young flies. The average reduction is 16% and 53% for tRNALeu. The aminoacylation ability of some aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases isolated from 35 day old flies is reduced by more than 50%.