Uncharged tRNA is known to bind to the ribosome in a codon-specific fashion. In this way, cognate uncharged tRNA competes with non-cognate aminoacyl-tRNA. If uncharged tRNA can be aminoacylated while on the ribosome, this will damp errors due to aminoacyl-tRNA imbalance. Kinetic analysis shows that this scheme reduces errors at 'hungry' codons considerably more effectively than J. Ninio's accuracy tuner model; for example, a 10-fold decrease in cognate aminoacyl-tRNA elicits only a 10% increase in the error frequency.
Binding, Competitive Codon