Major rearrangements in the 70S ribosomal 3D structure caused by a conformational switch in 16S ribosomal RNA

Dynamic changes in secondary structure of the 16S rRNA during the decoding of mRNA are visualized by three‐dimensional cryo‐electron microscopy of the 70S ribosome. Thermodynamically unstable base pairing of the 912–910 (CUC) nucleotides of the 16S RNA with two adjacent complementary regions at nucl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The EMBO journal 1999-11, Vol.18 (22), p.6501-6507
Main Authors: Gabashvili, Irene S., Agrawal, Rajendra K., Grassucci, Robert, Squires, Catherine L., Dahlberg, Albert E., Frank, Joachim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Base Sequence
Cryoelectron Microscopy
large-scale conformational rearrangements
Models, Molecular
mRNA channel
mRNA decoding
Nucleic Acid Conformation
Point Mutation
ribosome
Ribosomes - ultrastructure
RNA, Bacterial - chemistry
RNA, Bacterial - ultrastructure
RNA, Messenger - genetics
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - chemistry
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - ultrastructure
rRNA switch
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Summary:Dynamic changes in secondary structure of the 16S rRNA during the decoding of mRNA are visualized by three‐dimensional cryo‐electron microscopy of the 70S ribosome. Thermodynamically unstable base pairing of the 912–910 (CUC) nucleotides of the 16S RNA with two adjacent complementary regions at nucleotides 885–887 (GGG) and 888–890 (GAG) was stabilized in either of the two states by point mutations at positions 912 (C912G) and 885 (G885U). A wave of rearrangements can be traced arising from the switch in the three base pairs and involving functionally important regions in both subunits of the ribosome. This significantly affects the topography of the A‐site tRNA‐binding region on the 30S subunit and thereby explains changes in tRNA affinity for the ribosome and fidelity of decoding mRNA.
ISSN:0261-4189
1460-2075
DOI:10.1093/emboj/18.22.6501