Age-related changes of accuracy and efficiency of protein synthesis machinery in rat.

The accuracy and the efficiency of the protein synthesis machinery has been measured by the variability of the [3H]leucine/[14C]phenylalanine ratio in a cell-free protein synthesis system, poly(U) directed, and with the same criteria by binding aminoacyl tRNA-ribosome complexes with poly(U). Using these two methods, we have observed the aging of rats to be characterized by an increase of 3H/14C ratios according to the "general error theory". The results obtained are discussed in relation to the redundancy and rectification of the genes involved in the protein synthesis machinery formation.