The Anticodon of a TRNA is 5'UUG

Question

The anticodon of a tRNA is 5'UUG. What codon(s) can be theoretically recognized by this tRNA?
A) 5'CAA only
B) 5'CAA & 5'CAG
C) 5'AAC only
D) 5'AAC & 5' GAC
E) 5'CAC only

Accepted Answer

According to the base pairing rules of mRNA and tRNA, the third nucleotide in the codon can tolerate some degree of "wobble." In this case, the U in the anticodon of the tRNA can pair with A or G in the third position of the codon, while the second U in the anticodon must pair with the complementary A in the second position of the codon. Therefore, the tRNA with anticodon 5'UUG can potentially recognize both 5'CAA and 5'CAG codons.