The Path of Messenger RNA through the Ribosome

• Published in: Cell 2001-07, Vol.106 (2), p.233-241
• Main Authors: Yusupova, Gulnara Zh, Yusupov, Marat M., Cate, J.H.D., Noller, Harry F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteriophage T4 - genetics; Base Pairing; Base Sequence; Binding Sites; Codon - genetics; Crystallography, X-Ray; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; Escherichia coli - genetics; Fourier Analysis; Frameshifting, Ribosomal; Life Sciences; Models, Molecular; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Protein Binding; Protein Conformation; Protein Subunits; ribosomal subunit 30S; Ribosomes - chemistry; Ribosomes - genetics; Ribosomes - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - chemistry; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - chemistry; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - metabolism; Thermus thermophilus - chemistry; Viral Proteins - genetics
• ISSN: 0092-8674; 1097-4172
• DOI: 10.1016/S0092-8674(01)00435-4

Using X-ray crystallography, we have directly observed the path of mRNA in the 70S ribosome in Fourier difference maps at 7 Å resolution. About 30 nucleotides of the mRNA are wrapped in a groove that encircles the neck of the 30S subunit. The Shine-Dalgarno helix is bound in a large cleft between the head and the back of the platform. At the interface, only about eight nucleotides (−1 to +7), centered on the junction between the A and P codons, are exposed, and bond almost exclusively to 16S rRNA. The mRNA enters the ribosome around position +13 to +15, the location of downstream pseudoknots that stimulate −1 translational frame shifting.