Work

tmRNA on its way through the ribosome

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: Trans-translation is a universal quality-control process eubacteria use to degrade incompletely synthesized proteins and rescue ribosome stalled on defective mRNAs. This process is facilitated by a ribonucleoprotein complex composed of transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA)-a chimera made of a tRNA-like molecule and a short open reading frame (ORF) -and small protein B (SmpB). Determination of the structure of tmRNA and SmpB in complex with the ribosome, at the stage when translation has resumed on tmRNA, has provided an increased understanding of the structure of tmRNA as it transits the ribosome, and unique insights into the complex mechanism of template switching on the ribosome and SmpB-driven selection of the correct reading frame on tmRNA's ORF.

Source: RNA Biology

DOI: 10.4161/rna.8.4.15585

Authors: Jie Fu, Yaser Hashem, Jacek Wower, Joachim Frank

Institutions: Columbia University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Auburn University

Language: English

Topic: RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences