1
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Teran D, Zhang Y, Korostelev AA. Endogenous trans-translation structure visualizes the decoding of the first tmRNA alanine codon. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1369760. [PMID: 38500588 PMCID: PMC10944890 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1369760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Ribosomes stall on truncated or otherwise damaged mRNAs. Bacteria rely on ribosome rescue mechanisms to replenish the pool of ribosomes available for translation. Trans-translation, the main ribosome-rescue pathway, uses a circular hybrid transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) to restart translation and label the resulting peptide for degradation. Previous studies have visualized how tmRNA and its helper protein SmpB interact with the stalled ribosome to establish a new open reading frame. As tmRNA presents the first alanine codon via a non-canonical mRNA path in the ribosome, the incoming alanyl-tRNA must rearrange the tmRNA molecule to read the codon. Here, we describe cryo-EM analyses of an endogenous Escherichia coli ribosome-tmRNA complex with tRNAAla accommodated in the A site. The flexible adenosine-rich tmRNA linker, which connects the mRNA-like domain with the codon, is stabilized by the minor groove of the canonically positioned anticodon stem of tRNAAla. This ribosome complex can also accommodate a tRNA near the E (exit) site, bringing insights into the translocation and dissociation of the tRNA that decoded the defective mRNA prior to tmRNA binding. Together, these structures uncover a key step of ribosome rescue, in which the ribosome starts translating the tmRNA reading frame.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andrei A. Korostelev
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
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2
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Malhotra S, Mulvaney T, Cragnolini T, Sidhu H, Joseph A, Beton J, Topf M. RIBFIND2: Identifying rigid bodies in protein and nucleic acid structures. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:9567-9575. [PMID: 37670532 PMCID: PMC10570027 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular structures are often fitted into cryo-EM maps by flexible fitting. When this requires large conformational changes, identifying rigid bodies can help optimize the model-map fit. Tools for identifying rigid bodies in protein structures exist, however an equivalent for nucleic acid structures is lacking. With the increase in cryo-EM maps containing RNA and progress in RNA structure prediction, there is a need for such tools. We previously developed RIBFIND, a program for clustering protein secondary structures into rigid bodies. In RIBFIND2, this approach is extended to nucleic acid structures. RIBFIND2 can identify biologically relevant rigid bodies in important groups of complex RNA structures, capturing a wide range of dynamics, including large rigid-body movements. The usefulness of RIBFIND2-assigned rigid bodies in cryo-EM model refinement was demonstrated on three examples, with two conformations each: Group II Intron complexed IEP, Internal Ribosome Entry Site and the Processome, using cryo-EM maps at 2.7-5 Å resolution. A hierarchical refinement approach, performed on progressively smaller sets of RIBFIND2 rigid bodies, was clearly shown to have an advantage over classical all-atom refinement. RIBFIND2 is available via a web server with structure visualization and as a standalone tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sony Malhotra
- Science and Technology Facilities Council, Scientific Computing, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Thomas Mulvaney
- Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg 20251, Germany
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg D-22607, Germany
- Universitätsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg 20246, Germany
| | - Tristan Cragnolini
- Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg 20251, Germany
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Haneesh Sidhu
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Agnel P Joseph
- Science and Technology Facilities Council, Scientific Computing, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Joseph G Beton
- Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg 20251, Germany
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg D-22607, Germany
| | - Maya Topf
- Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg 20251, Germany
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg D-22607, Germany
- Universitätsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg 20246, Germany
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3
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Huang T, Choi J, Prabhakar A, Puglisi JD, Petrov A. Partial spontaneous intersubunit rotations in pretranslocation ribosomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2114979120. [PMID: 37801472 PMCID: PMC10576065 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114979120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The two main steps of translation, peptidyl transfer, and translocation are accompanied by counterclockwise and clockwise rotations of the large and small ribosomal subunits with respect to each other. Upon peptidyl transfer, the small ribosomal subunit rotates counterclockwise relative to the large subunit, placing the ribosome into the rotated conformation. Simultaneously, tRNAs move into the hybrid conformation, and the L1 stalk moves inward toward the P-site tRNA. The conformational dynamics of pretranslocation ribosomes were extensively studied by ensemble and single-molecule methods. Different experimental modalities tracking ribosomal subunits, tRNAs, and the L1 stalk showed that pretranslocation ribosomes undergo spontaneous conformational transitions. Thus, peptidyl transfer unlocks the ribosome and decreases an energy barrier for the reverse ribosome rotation during translocation. However, the tracking of translation with ribosomes labeled at rRNA helices h44 and H101 showed a lack of spontaneous rotations in pretranslocation complexes. Therefore, reverse intersubunit rotations occur during EF-G catalyzed translocation. To reconcile these views, we used high-speed single-molecule microscopy to follow translation in real time. We showed spontaneous rotations in puromycin-released h44-H101 dye-labeled ribosomes. During elongation, the h44-H101 ribosomes undergo partial spontaneous rotations. Spontaneous rotations in h44-H101-labeled ribosomes are restricted prior to aminoacyl-tRNA binding. The pretranslocation h44-H101 ribosomes spontaneously exchanged between three different rotational states. This demonstrates that peptidyl transfer unlocks spontaneous rotations and pretranslocation ribosomes can adopt several thermally accessible conformations, thus supporting the Brownian model of translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhan Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL36849
| | - Junhong Choi
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Arjun Prabhakar
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Joseph D. Puglisi
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Alexey Petrov
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL36849
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4
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Wang YH, Dai H, Zhang L, Wu Y, Wang J, Wang C, Xu CH, Hou H, Yang B, Zhu Y, Zhang X, Zhou J. Cryo-electron microscopy structure and translocation mechanism of the crenarchaeal ribosome. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8909-8924. [PMID: 37604686 PMCID: PMC10516650 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Archaeal ribosomes have many domain-specific features; however, our understanding of these structures is limited. We present 10 cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the archaeal ribosome from crenarchaeota Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (Sac) at 2.7-5.7 Å resolution. We observed unstable conformations of H68 and h44 of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in the subunit structures, which may interfere with subunit association. These subunit structures provided models for 12 rRNA expansion segments and 3 novel r-proteins. Furthermore, the 50S-aRF1 complex structure showed the unique domain orientation of aRF1, possibly explaining P-site transfer RNA (tRNA) release after translation termination. Sac 70S complexes were captured in seven distinct steps of the tRNA translocation reaction, confirming conserved structural features during archaeal ribosome translocation. In aEF2-engaged 70S ribosome complexes, 3D classification of cryo-EM data based on 30S head domain identified two new translocation intermediates with 30S head domain tilted 5-6° enabling its disengagement from the translocated tRNA and its release post-translocation. Additionally, we observed conformational changes to aEF2 during ribosome binding and switching from three different states. Our structural and biochemical data provide new insights into archaeal translation and ribosome translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Hui Wang
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Hong Dai
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Yun Wu
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Jingfen Wang
- Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, and Department of Biophysics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, and Department of Biophysics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Cai-Huang Xu
- Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, and Department of Biophysics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Hai Hou
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
| | - Bing Yang
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Yongqun Zhu
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Xing Zhang
- Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, and Department of Biophysics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
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5
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Zafar H, Hassan AH, Demo G. Translation machinery captured in motion. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1792. [PMID: 37132456 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Translation accuracy is one of the most critical factors for protein synthesis. It is regulated by the ribosome and its dynamic behavior, along with translation factors that direct ribosome rearrangements to make translation a uniform process. Earlier structural studies of the ribosome complex with arrested translation factors laid the foundation for an understanding of ribosome dynamics and the translation process as such. Recent technological advances in time-resolved and ensemble cryo-EM have made it possible to study translation in real time at high resolution. These methods provided a detailed view of translation in bacteria for all three phases: initiation, elongation, and termination. In this review, we focus on translation factors (in some cases GTP activation) and their ability to monitor and respond to ribosome organization to enable efficient and accurate translation. This article is categorized under: Translation > Ribosome Structure/Function Translation > Mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Zafar
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ahmed H Hassan
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Demo
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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6
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Das A, Bao C, Ermolenko DN. Comparing FRET Pairs that Report on Intersubunit Rotation in Bacterial Ribosomes. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168185. [PMID: 37348753 PMCID: PMC10528089 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Mediated by elongation factor G (EF-G), ribosome translocation along mRNA is accompanied by rotational movement between ribosomal subunits. Here, we reassess whether the intersubunit rotation requires GTP hydrolysis by EF-G or can occur spontaneously. To that end, we employ two independent FRET assays, which are based on labeling either ribosomal proteins (bS6 and bL9) or rRNAs (h44 of 16S and H101 of 23S rRNA). Both FRET pairs reveal three FRET states, corresponding to the non-rotated, rotated and semi-rotated conformations of the ribosome. Both FRET assays show that in the absence of EF-G, pre-translocation ribosomes containing deacylated P-site tRNA undergo spontaneous intersubunit rotations between non-rotated and rotated conformations. While the two FRET pairs exhibit largely similar behavior, they substantially differ in the fraction of ribosomes showing spontaneous fluctuations. Nevertheless, instead of being an invariable intrinsic property of each FRET pair, the fraction of spontaneously fluctuating molecules changes in both FRET assays depending on experimental conditions. Our results underscore importance of using multiple FRET pairs in studies of ribosome dynamics and highlight the role of thermally-driven large-scale ribosome rearrangements in translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananya Das
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - Chen Bao
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - Dmitri N Ermolenko
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States.
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7
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Poulis P, Peske F, Rodnina MV. The many faces of ribosome translocation along the mRNA: reading frame maintenance, ribosome frameshifting and translational bypassing. Biol Chem 2023; 404:755-767. [PMID: 37077160 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2023-0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
In each round of translation elongation, the ribosome translocates along the mRNA by precisely one codon. Translocation is promoted by elongation factor G (EF-G) in bacteria (eEF2 in eukaryotes) and entails a number of precisely-timed large-scale structural rearrangements. As a rule, the movements of the ribosome, tRNAs, mRNA and EF-G are orchestrated to maintain the exact codon-wise step size. However, signals in the mRNA, as well as environmental cues, can change the timing and dynamics of the key rearrangements leading to recoding of the mRNA into production of trans-frame peptides from the same mRNA. In this review, we discuss recent advances on the mechanics of translocation and reading frame maintenance. Furthermore, we describe the mechanisms and biological relevance of non-canonical translocation pathways, such as hungry and programmed frameshifting and translational bypassing, and their link to disease and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Poulis
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Am Fassberg 11, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Frank Peske
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Am Fassberg 11, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marina V Rodnina
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Am Fassberg 11, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
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8
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Das A, Bao C, Ermolenko DN. Comparing FRET pairs that report on intersubunit rotation in bacterial ribosomes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.09.540051. [PMID: 37214817 PMCID: PMC10197640 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.09.540051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Mediated by elongation factor G (EF-G), ribosome translocation along mRNA is accompanied by rotational movement between ribosomal subunits. Here, we reassess whether the intersubunit rotation requires GTP hydrolysis by EF-G or can occur spontaneously. To that end, we employ two independent FRET assays, which are based on labeling either ribosomal proteins (bS6 and bL9) or rRNAs (h44 of 16S and H101 of 23S rRNA). Both FRET pairs reveal three FRET states, corresponding to the non-rotated, rotated and semi-rotated conformations of the ribosome. Both FRET assays show that in the absence of EF-G, pre-translocation ribosomes containing deacylated P-site tRNA undergo spontaneous intersubunit rotations between non-rotated and rotated conformations. While the two FRET pairs exhibit largely similar behavior, they substantially differ in the fraction of ribosomes showing spontaneous fluctuations. Nevertheless, instead of being an invariable intrinsic property of each FRET pair, the fraction of spontaneously fluctuating molecules changes in both FRET assays depending on experimental conditions. Our results underscore importance of using multiple FRET pairs in studies of ribosome dynamics and highlight the role of thermally-driven large-scale ribosome rearrangements in translation.
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9
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Altered tRNA dynamics during translocation on slippery mRNA as determinant of spontaneous ribosome frameshifting. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4231. [PMID: 35869111 PMCID: PMC9307594 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31852-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractWhen reading consecutive mRNA codons, ribosomes move by exactly one triplet at a time to synthesize a correct protein. Some mRNA tracks, called slippery sequences, are prone to ribosomal frameshifting, because the same tRNA can read both 0- and –1-frame codon. Using smFRET we show that during EF-G-catalyzed translocation on slippery sequences a fraction of ribosomes spontaneously switches from rapid, accurate translation to a slow, frameshifting-prone translocation mode where the movements of peptidyl- and deacylated tRNA become uncoupled. While deacylated tRNA translocates rapidly, pept-tRNA continues to fluctuate between chimeric and posttranslocation states, which slows down the re-locking of the small ribosomal subunit head domain. After rapid release of deacylated tRNA, pept-tRNA gains unconstrained access to the –1-frame triplet, resulting in slippage followed by recruitment of the –1-frame aa-tRNA into the A site. Our data show how altered choreography of tRNA and ribosome movements reduces the translation fidelity of ribosomes translocating in a slow mode.
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10
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Belinite M, Khusainov I, Marzi S. Staphylococcus aureus 30S Ribosomal Subunit Purification and Its Biochemical and Cryo-EM Analysis. Bio Protoc 2022; 12:e4532. [PMID: 36353712 PMCID: PMC9606446 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The ribosome is a complex cellular machinery whose solved structure allowed for an incredible leap in structural biology research. Different ions bind to the ribosome, stabilizing inter-subunit interfaces and structurally linking rRNAs, proteins, and ligands. Besides cations such as K + and Mg 2+ , polyamines are known to stabilize the folding of RNA and overall structure. The bacterial ribosome is composed of a small (30S) subunit containing the decoding center and a large (50S) subunit devoted to peptide bond formation. We have previously shown that the small ribosomal subunit of Staphylococcus aureus is sensitive to changes in ionic conditions and polyamines concentration. In particular, its decoding center, where mRNA codons and tRNA anticodons interact, is prone to structural deformations in the absence of spermidine. Here, we report a detailed protocol for the purification of the intact and functional 30S, achieved through specific ionic conditions and the addition of spermidine. Using this protocol, we obtained the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the 30S-mRNA complex from S. aureus at 3.6 Å resolution. The 30S-mRNA complex formation was verified by a toeprinting assay. In this article, we also include a description of toeprinting and cryo-EM protocols. The described protocols can be further used to study the process of translation regulation. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Belinite
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
,
Architecture et Réactivité de l’ARN, CNRS 9002, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
,
Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie (IECB), ARNA U1212, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France
,
Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Iskander Khusainov
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
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Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Stefano Marzi
- Architecture et Réactivité de l’ARN, CNRS 9002, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
,
*For correspondence:
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11
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Xue L, Lenz S, Zimmermann-Kogadeeva M, Tegunov D, Cramer P, Bork P, Rappsilber J, Mahamid J. Visualizing translation dynamics at atomic detail inside a bacterial cell. Nature 2022; 610:205-211. [PMID: 36171285 PMCID: PMC9534751 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05255-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Translation is the fundamental process of protein synthesis and is catalysed by the ribosome in all living cells1. Here we use advances in cryo-electron tomography and sub-tomogram analysis2,3 to visualize the structural dynamics of translation inside the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae. To interpret the functional states in detail, we first obtain a high-resolution in-cell average map of all translating ribosomes and build an atomic model for the M. pneumoniae ribosome that reveals distinct extensions of ribosomal proteins. Classification then resolves 13 ribosome states that differ in their conformation and composition. These recapitulate major states that were previously resolved in vitro, and reflect intermediates during active translation. On the basis of these states, we animate translation elongation inside native cells and show how antibiotics reshape the cellular translation landscapes. During translation elongation, ribosomes often assemble in defined three-dimensional arrangements to form polysomes4. By mapping the intracellular organization of translating ribosomes, we show that their association into polysomes involves a local coordination mechanism that is mediated by the ribosomal protein L9. We propose that an extended conformation of L9 within polysomes mitigates collisions to facilitate translation fidelity. Our work thus demonstrates the feasibility of visualizing molecular processes at atomic detail inside cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Xue
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
- Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Swantje Lenz
- Chair of Bioanalytics, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Zimmermann-Kogadeeva
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dimitry Tegunov
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Patrick Cramer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peer Bork
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
- Yonsei Frontier Lab, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Juri Rappsilber
- Chair of Bioanalytics, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Julia Mahamid
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany.
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12
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Kipper K, Mansour A, Pulk A. Neuronal RNA granules are ribosome complexes stalled at the pre-translocation state. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167801. [PMID: 36038000 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The polarized cell morphology of neurons dictates many neuronal processes, including the axodendridic transport of specific mRNAs and subsequent translation. mRNAs together with ribosomes and RNA-binding proteins form RNA granules that are targeted to axodendrites for localized translation in neurons. It has been established that localized protein synthesis in neurons is essential for long-term memory formation, synaptic plasticity, and neurodegeneration. We have used proteomics and electron microscopy to characterize neuronal RNA granules (nRNAg) isolated from rat brain tissues or human neuroblastoma. We show that ribosome containing RNA granules are morula-like structures when visualized by electron microscopy. Crosslinking-coupled mass-spectrometry identified potential G3BP2 binding site on the ribosome near the eIF3d-binding site on the 40S ribosomal subunit. We used cryo-EM to resolve the structure of the ribosome-component of nRNAg. The cryo-EM reveals that predominant particles in nRNAg are 80S ribosomes, resembling the pre-translocation state where tRNA's are in the hybrid A/P and P/E site. We also describe a new kind of principal motion of the ribosome, which we call the rocking motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalle Kipper
- Structural Biology Unit, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | - Abbas Mansour
- Structural Biology Unit, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | - Arto Pulk
- Structural Biology Unit, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia.
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13
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Abstract
Accurate protein synthesis (translation) relies on translation factors that rectify ribosome fluctuations into a unidirectional process. Understanding this process requires structural characterization of the ribosome and translation-factor dynamics. In the 2000s, crystallographic studies determined high-resolution structures of ribosomes stalled with translation factors, providing a starting point for visualizing translation. Recent progress in single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has enabled near-atomic resolution of numerous structures sampled in heterogeneous complexes (ensembles). Ensemble and time-resolved cryo-EM have now revealed unprecedented views of ribosome transitions in the three principal stages of translation: initiation, elongation, and termination. This review focuses on how translation factors help achieve high accuracy and efficiency of translation by monitoring distinct ribosome conformations and by differentially shifting the equilibria of ribosome rearrangements for cognate and near-cognate substrates. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biochemistry, Volume 91 is June 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei A Korostelev
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA;
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14
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Carbone CE, Loveland AB, Gamper HB, Hou YM, Demo G, Korostelev AA. Time-resolved cryo-EM visualizes ribosomal translocation with EF-G and GTP. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7236. [PMID: 34903725 PMCID: PMC8668904 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27415-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During translation, a conserved GTPase elongation factor-EF-G in bacteria or eEF2 in eukaryotes-translocates tRNA and mRNA through the ribosome. EF-G has been proposed to act as a flexible motor that propels tRNA and mRNA movement, as a rigid pawl that biases unidirectional translocation resulting from ribosome rearrangements, or by various combinations of motor- and pawl-like mechanisms. Using time-resolved cryo-EM, we visualized GTP-catalyzed translocation without inhibitors, capturing elusive structures of ribosome•EF-G intermediates at near-atomic resolution. Prior to translocation, EF-G binds near peptidyl-tRNA, while the rotated 30S subunit stabilizes the EF-G GTPase center. Reverse 30S rotation releases Pi and translocates peptidyl-tRNA and EF-G by ~20 Å. An additional 4-Å translocation initiates EF-G dissociation from a transient ribosome state with highly swiveled 30S head. The structures visualize how nearly rigid EF-G rectifies inherent and spontaneous ribosomal dynamics into tRNA-mRNA translocation, whereas GTP hydrolysis and Pi release drive EF-G dissociation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna B Loveland
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Howard B Gamper
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ya-Ming Hou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gabriel Demo
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic.
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15
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Belinite M, Khusainov I, Soufari H, Marzi S, Romby P, Yusupov M, Hashem Y. Stabilization of Ribosomal RNA of the Small Subunit by Spermidine in Staphylococcus aureus. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:738752. [PMID: 34869582 PMCID: PMC8637172 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.738752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy is now used as a method of choice in structural biology for studying protein synthesis, a process mediated by the ribosome machinery. In order to achieve high-resolution structures using this approach, one needs to obtain homogeneous and stable samples, which requires optimization of ribosome purification in a species-dependent manner. This is especially critical for the bacterial small ribosomal subunit that tends to be unstable in the absence of ligands. Here, we report a protocol for purification of stable 30 S from the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and its cryo-EM structures: in presence of spermidine at a resolution ranging between 3.4 and 3.6 Å and in its absence at 5.3 Å. Using biochemical characterization and cryo-EM, we demonstrate the importance of spermidine for stabilization of the 30 S via preserving favorable conformation of the helix 44.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Belinite
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, CNRS 9002, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie (IECB), ARNA U1212, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Iskander Khusainov
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Heddy Soufari
- Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie (IECB), ARNA U1212, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Stefano Marzi
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, CNRS 9002, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pascale Romby
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, CNRS 9002, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marat Yusupov
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Yaser Hashem
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, CNRS 9002, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie (IECB), ARNA U1212, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France
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16
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Korostelev AA. Diversity and Similarity of Termination and Ribosome Rescue in Bacterial, Mitochondrial, and Cytoplasmic Translation. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2021; 86:1107-1121. [PMID: 34565314 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921090066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
When a ribosome encounters the stop codon of an mRNA, it terminates translation, releases the newly made protein, and is recycled to initiate translation on a new mRNA. Termination is a highly dynamic process in which release factors (RF1 and RF2 in bacteria; eRF1•eRF3•GTP in eukaryotes) coordinate peptide release with large-scale molecular rearrangements of the ribosome. Ribosomes stalled on aberrant mRNAs are rescued and recycled by diverse bacterial, mitochondrial, or cytoplasmic quality control mechanisms. These are catalyzed by rescue factors with peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase activity (bacterial ArfA•RF2 and ArfB, mitochondrial ICT1 and mtRF-R, and cytoplasmic Vms1), that are distinct from each other and from release factors. Nevertheless, recent structural studies demonstrate a remarkable similarity between translation termination and ribosome rescue mechanisms. This review describes how these pathways rely on inherent ribosome dynamics, emphasizing the active role of the ribosome in all translation steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei A Korostelev
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, UMass Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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17
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Bao C, Ermolenko DN. Ribosome as a Translocase and Helicase. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2021; 86:992-1002. [PMID: 34488575 PMCID: PMC8294220 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921080095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
During protein synthesis, ribosome moves along mRNA to decode one codon after the other. Ribosome translocation is induced by a universally conserved protein, elongation factor G (EF-G) in bacteria and elongation factor 2 (EF-2) in eukaryotes. EF-G-induced translocation results in unwinding of the intramolecular secondary structures of mRNA by three base pairs at a time that renders the translating ribosome a processive helicase. Professor Alexander Sergeevich Spirin has made numerous seminal contributions to understanding the molecular mechanism of translocation. Here, we review Spirin's insights into the ribosomal translocation and recent advances in the field that stemmed from Spirin's pioneering work. We also discuss key remaining challenges in studies of translocase and helicase activities of the ribosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Bao
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, School of Medicine and Dentistry and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Dmitri N Ermolenko
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, School of Medicine and Dentistry and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
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18
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Gamper H, Li H, Masuda I, Miklos Robkis D, Christian T, Conn AB, Blaha G, Petersson EJ, Gonzalez RL, Hou YM. Insights into genome recoding from the mechanism of a classic +1-frameshifting tRNA. Nat Commun 2021; 12:328. [PMID: 33436566 PMCID: PMC7803779 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20373-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While genome recoding using quadruplet codons to incorporate non-proteinogenic amino acids is attractive for biotechnology and bioengineering purposes, the mechanism through which such codons are translated is poorly understood. Here we investigate translation of quadruplet codons by a +1-frameshifting tRNA, SufB2, that contains an extra nucleotide in its anticodon loop. Natural post-transcriptional modification of SufB2 in cells prevents it from frameshifting using a quadruplet-pairing mechanism such that it preferentially employs a triplet-slippage mechanism. We show that SufB2 uses triplet anticodon-codon pairing in the 0-frame to initially decode the quadruplet codon, but subsequently shifts to the +1-frame during tRNA-mRNA translocation. SufB2 frameshifting involves perturbation of an essential ribosome conformational change that facilitates tRNA-mRNA movements at a late stage of the translocation reaction. Our results provide a molecular mechanism for SufB2-induced +1 frameshifting and suggest that engineering of a specific ribosome conformational change can improve the efficiency of genome recoding. Genome recoding with quadruplet codons requires a +1-frameshift-suppressor tRNA able to insert an amino acid at quadruplet codons of interest. Here the authors identify the mechanisms resulting in +1 frameshifting and the steps of the elongation cycle in which it occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard Gamper
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Haixing Li
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Isao Masuda
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - D Miklos Robkis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Thomas Christian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Adam B Conn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Gregor Blaha
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - E James Petersson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Ruben L Gonzalez
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
| | - Ya-Ming Hou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
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19
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A steric gate controls P/E hybrid-state formation of tRNA on the ribosome. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5706. [PMID: 33177497 PMCID: PMC7658246 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19450-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ribosome is a biomolecular machine that undergoes multiple large-scale structural rearrangements during protein elongation. Here, we focus on a conformational rearrangement during translocation, known as P/E hybrid-state formation. Using a model that explicitly represents all non-hydrogen atoms, we simulated more than 120 spontaneous transitions, where the tRNA molecule is displaced between the P and E sites of the large subunit. In addition to predicting a free-energy landscape that is consistent with previous experimental observations, the simulations reveal how a six-residue gate-like region can limit P/E formation, where sub-angstrom structural perturbations lead to an order-of-magnitude change in kinetics. Thus, this precisely defined set of residues represents a novel target that may be used to control functional dynamics in bacterial ribosomes. This theoretical analysis establishes a direct relationship between ribosome structure and large-scale dynamics, and it suggests how next-generation experiments may precisely dissect the energetics of hybrid formation on the ribosome. The ribosome undergoes multiple large-scale structural rearrangements during protein elongation. Here the authors present an all-atom model of the ribosome to study the energetics of P/E hybrid-state formation, an early conformational rearrangement occurring during translocation.
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20
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Dynamics of the context-specific translation arrest by chloramphenicol and linezolid. Nat Chem Biol 2019; 16:310-317. [PMID: 31844301 PMCID: PMC7036023 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-019-0423-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Chloramphenicol (CHL) and linezolid (LZD) are antibiotics that inhibit translation. Both were thought to block peptide bond formation between all combinations of amino acids. Yet recently, a strong nascent peptide context-dependency of CHL- and LZD-induced translation arrest was discovered. Here, we probed the mechanism of action of CHL and LZD by using single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer spectroscopy (smFRET) to monitor translation arrest induced by antibiotics. The presence of CHL or LZD does not significantly alter dynamics of protein synthesis until the arrest-motif of the nascent peptide is generated. Inhibition of peptide-bond formation compels the fully accommodated A-site tRNA to undergo repeated rounds of dissociation and non-productive rebinding. The glycyl amino-acid moiety on the A-site Gly-tRNA manages to overcome the arrest by CHL. Our results illuminate the mechanism of CHL and LZD action through their interactions with the ribosome, the nascent peptide and the incoming amino acid, perturbing elongation dynamics.
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21
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Svidritskiy E, Demo G, Loveland AB, Xu C, Korostelev AA. Extensive ribosome and RF2 rearrangements during translation termination. eLife 2019; 8:46850. [PMID: 31513010 PMCID: PMC6742477 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein synthesis ends when a ribosome reaches an mRNA stop codon. Release factors (RFs) decode the stop codon, hydrolyze peptidyl-tRNA to release the nascent protein, and then dissociate to allow ribosome recycling. To visualize termination by RF2, we resolved a cryo-EM ensemble of E. coli 70S•RF2 structures at up to 3.3 Å in a single sample. Five structures suggest a highly dynamic termination pathway. Upon peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis, the CCA end of deacyl-tRNA departs from the peptidyl transferase center. The catalytic GGQ loop of RF2 is rearranged into a long β-hairpin that plugs the peptide tunnel, biasing a nascent protein toward the ribosome exit. Ribosomal intersubunit rotation destabilizes the catalytic RF2 domain on the 50S subunit and disassembles the central intersubunit bridge B2a, resulting in RF2 departure. Our structures visualize how local rearrangements and spontaneous inter-subunit rotation poise the newly-made protein and RF2 to dissociate in preparation for ribosome recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egor Svidritskiy
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - Gabriel Demo
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - Anna B Loveland
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - Chen Xu
- Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - Andrei A Korostelev
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States.,Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
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22
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Weisser M, Ban N. Extensions, Extra Factors, and Extreme Complexity: Ribosomal Structures Provide Insights into Eukaryotic Translation. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2019; 11:11/9/a032367. [PMID: 31481454 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a032367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Although the basic aspects of protein synthesis are preserved in all kingdoms of life, there are many important structural and functional differences between bacterial and the more complex eukaryotic ribosomes. High-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and X-ray crystallography structures of eukaryotic ribosomes have revealed the complex architectures of eukaryotic ribosomes and species-specific variations in protein and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) extensions. They also enabled structural studies of a range of eukaryotic ribosomal complexes involved in translation initiation, elongation, and termination, revealing unique mechanistic features of the eukaryotic translation process, especially with respect to the identification and recognition of translation start and stop codons on messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Most recently, structural biology has provided insights into the eukaryotic ribosomal biogenesis pathway by visualizing several of its complex intermediates. This review highlights the past decade's structural work on eukaryotic ribosomes and its implications on our understanding of eukaryotic translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Weisser
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nenad Ban
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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23
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Zhang C, Cantara W, Jeon Y, Musier-Forsyth K, Grigorieff N, Lyumkis D. Analysis of discrete local variability and structural covariance in macromolecular assemblies using Cryo-EM and focused classification. Ultramicroscopy 2019; 203:170-180. [PMID: 30528101 PMCID: PMC6476647 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2018.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Single-particle electron cryo-microscopy and computational image classification can be used to analyze structural variability in macromolecules and their assemblies. In some cases, a particle may contain different regions that each display a range of distinct conformations. We have developed strategies, implemented within the Frealign and cisTEM image processing packages, to focus-classify on specific regions of a particle and detect potential covariance. The strategies are based on masking the region of interest using either a 2-D mask applied to reference projections and particle images, or a 3-D mask applied to the 3-D volume. We show that focused classification approaches can be used to study structural covariance, a concept that is likely to gain more importance as datasets grow in size, allowing the distinction of more structural states and smaller differences between states. Finally, we apply the approaches to an experimental dataset containing the HIV-1 Transactivation Response (TAR) element RNA fused into the large bacterial ribosomal subunit to deconvolve structural mobility within localized regions of interest, and to a dataset containing assembly intermediates of the large subunit to measure structural covariance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhang
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - William Cantara
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Youngmin Jeon
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Karin Musier-Forsyth
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Nikolaus Grigorieff
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, USA.
| | - Dmitry Lyumkis
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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24
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Studying ribosome dynamics with simplified models. Methods 2019; 162-163:128-140. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2019.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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25
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Matsumoto A. Dynamic analysis of ribosome by a movie made from many three-dimensional electron-microscopy density maps. Biophys Physicobiol 2019; 16:108-113. [PMID: 31131181 PMCID: PMC6530885 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.16.0_108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The atomic models of the 70S ribosome including the bound molecules were built from many 3D-EM density maps. The positions and conformations of the bound molecules were determined by fitting them to the regions in the density maps which remained after fitting the 70S ribosome. Then, using these atomic models, a movie for the elongation cycle was made. For determining the sequential order in which the models appeared in the movie, the knowledge about the bound molecules and the ratchet angles were used. The movie revealed several interesting points which were not apparent from each density map, suggesting the usefulness of a movie made from many 3D-EM density maps.
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26
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Spontaneous ribosomal translocation of mRNA and tRNAs into a chimeric hybrid state. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:7813-7818. [PMID: 30936299 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1901310116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The elongation factor G (EF-G)-catalyzed translocation of mRNA and tRNA through the ribosome is essential for vacating the ribosomal A site for the next incoming aminoacyl-tRNA, while precisely maintaining the translational reading frame. Here, the 3.2-Å crystal structure of a ribosome translocation intermediate complex containing mRNA and two tRNAs, formed in the absence of EF-G or GTP, provides insight into the respective roles of EF-G and the ribosome in translocation. Unexpectedly, the head domain of the 30S subunit is rotated by 21°, creating a ribosomal conformation closely resembling the two-tRNA chimeric hybrid state that was previously observed only in the presence of bound EF-G. The two tRNAs have moved spontaneously from their A/A and P/P binding states into ap/P and pe/E states, in which their anticodon loops are bound between the 30S body domain and its rotated head domain, while their acceptor ends have moved fully into the 50S P and E sites, respectively. Remarkably, the A-site tRNA translocates fully into the classical P-site position. Although the mRNA also undergoes movement, codon-anticodon interaction is disrupted in the absence of EF-G, resulting in slippage of the translational reading frame. We conclude that, although movement of both tRNAs and mRNA (along with rotation of the 30S head domain) can occur in the absence of EF-G and GTP, EF-G is essential for enforcing coupled movement of the tRNAs and their mRNA codons to maintain the reading frame.
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27
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Li W, Agrawal RK. Joachim Frank's Binding with the Ribosome. Structure 2019; 27:411-419. [PMID: 30595455 PMCID: PMC11062599 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
With recent technological advancements, single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is now the technique of choice to study structure and function of biological macromolecules at near-atomic resolution. Many single-particle EM reconstruction methods necessary for these advances were pioneered by Joachim Frank, and were optimized using the ribosome as a benchmark specimen. In doing so, he made several landmark contributions to the understanding of the structure and function of ribosomes. These include the first 3D visualization of ribosome-bound transfer RNAs, the first experimentally derived structures of the primary complexes formed during the bacterial translation elongation cycle, and the critical ribosomal conformational transitions required for translation. Over the years, his laboratory studied many important functional complexes of the ribosome from both eubacterial and eukaryotic systems, including ribosomes from pathogenic organisms. This article presents a brief account of the contributions made by Joachim Frank to the ribosome field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Rajendra K Agrawal
- Division of Translational Medicine, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.
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28
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High-Resolution Ribosome Profiling Defines Discrete Ribosome Elongation States and Translational Regulation during Cellular Stress. Mol Cell 2019; 73:959-970.e5. [PMID: 30686592 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Ribosomes undergo substantial conformational changes during translation elongation to accommodate incoming aminoacyl-tRNAs and translocate along the mRNA template. We used multiple elongation inhibitors and chemical probing to define ribosome conformational states corresponding to differently sized ribosome-protected mRNA fragments (RPFs) generated by ribosome profiling. We show, using various genetic and environmental perturbations, that short 20-22 or classical 27-29 nucleotide RPFs correspond to ribosomes with open or occupied ribosomal A sites, respectively. These distinct states of translation elongation are readily discerned by ribosome profiling in all eukaryotes we tested, including fungi, worms, and mammals. This high-resolution ribosome profiling approach reveals mechanisms of translation-elongation arrest during distinct stress conditions. Hyperosmotic stress inhibits translocation through Rck2-dependent eEF2 phosphorylation, whereas oxidative stress traps ribosomes in a pre-translocation state, independent of Rck2-driven eEF2 phosphorylation. These results provide insights and approaches for defining the molecular events that impact translation elongation throughout biology.
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29
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Abstract
In the past 4 years, because of the advent of new cameras, many ribosome structures have been solved by cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) at high, often near-atomic resolution, bringing new mechanistic insights into the processes of translation initiation, peptide elongation, termination, and recycling. Thus, cryo-EM has joined X-ray crystallography as a powerful technique in structural studies of translation. The significance of this new development is that structures of ribosomes in complex with their functional binding partners can now be determined to high resolution in multiple states as they perform their work. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of these new studies and assess the contributions they have made toward an understanding of translation and translational control.
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30
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Flis J, Holm M, Rundlet EJ, Loerke J, Hilal T, Dabrowski M, Bürger J, Mielke T, Blanchard SC, Spahn CMT, Budkevich TV. tRNA Translocation by the Eukaryotic 80S Ribosome and the Impact of GTP Hydrolysis. Cell Rep 2018; 25:2676-2688.e7. [PMID: 30517857 PMCID: PMC6314685 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.11.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Translocation moves the tRNA2⋅mRNA module directionally through the ribosome during the elongation phase of protein synthesis. Although translocation is known to entail large conformational changes within both the ribosome and tRNA substrates, the orchestrated events that ensure the speed and fidelity of this critical aspect of the protein synthesis mechanism have not been fully elucidated. Here, we present three high-resolution structures of intermediates of translocation on the mammalian ribosome where, in contrast to bacteria, ribosomal complexes containing the translocase eEF2 and the complete tRNA2⋅mRNA module are trapped by the non-hydrolyzable GTP analog GMPPNP. Consistent with the observed structures, single-molecule imaging revealed that GTP hydrolysis principally facilitates rate-limiting, final steps of translocation, which are required for factor dissociation and which are differentially regulated in bacterial and mammalian systems by the rates of deacyl-tRNA dissociation from the E site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Flis
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mikael Holm
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily J Rundlet
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Justus Loerke
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tarek Hilal
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marylena Dabrowski
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörg Bürger
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; UltraStrukturNetzwerk, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mielke
- UltraStrukturNetzwerk, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Scott C Blanchard
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Christian M T Spahn
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Tatyana V Budkevich
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
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31
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Decoding on the ribosome depends on the structure of the mRNA phosphodiester backbone. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E6731-E6740. [PMID: 29967153 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1721431115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
During translation, the ribosome plays an active role in ensuring that mRNA is decoded accurately and rapidly. Recently, biochemical studies have also implicated certain accessory factors in maintaining decoding accuracy. However, it is currently unclear whether the mRNA itself plays an active role in the process beyond its ability to base pair with the tRNA. Structural studies revealed that the mRNA kinks at the interface of the P and A sites. A magnesium ion appears to stabilize this structure through electrostatic interactions with the phosphodiester backbone of the mRNA. Here we examined the role of the kink structure on decoding using a well-defined in vitro translation system. Disruption of the kink structure through site-specific phosphorothioate modification resulted in an acute hyperaccurate phenotype. We measured rates of peptidyl transfer for near-cognate tRNAs that were severely diminished and in some instances were almost 100-fold slower than unmodified mRNAs. In contrast to peptidyl transfer, the modifications had little effect on GTP hydrolysis by elongation factor thermal unstable (EF-Tu), suggesting that only the proofreading phase of tRNA selection depends critically on the kink structure. Although the modifications appear to have no effect on typical cognate interactions, peptidyl transfer for a tRNA that uses atypical base pairing is compromised. These observations suggest that the kink structure is important for decoding in the absence of Watson-Crick or G-U wobble base pairing at the third position. Our findings provide evidence for a previously unappreciated role for the mRNA backbone in ensuring uniform decoding of the genetic code.
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32
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Jia H, Wang Y, Xu S. Super-resolution force spectroscopy reveals ribosomal motion at sub-nucleotide steps. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:5883-5886. [PMID: 29785422 DOI: 10.1039/c8cc02658k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Probing biomolecular motion beyond a single nucleotide is technically challenging but fundamentally significant. We have developed super-resolution force spectroscopy (SURFS) with 0.5 pN force resolution and revealed that the ribosome moves by half a nucleotide upon the formation of the pre-translocation complex, which is beyond the resolution of other techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haina Jia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
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33
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Post-termination Ribosome Intermediate Acts as the Gateway to Ribosome Recycling. Cell Rep 2018; 20:161-172. [PMID: 28683310 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
During termination of translation, the nascent peptide is first released from the ribosome, which must be subsequently disassembled into subunits in a process known as ribosome recycling. In bacteria, termination and recycling are mediated by the translation factors RF, RRF, EF-G, and IF3, but their precise roles have remained unclear. Here, we use single-molecule fluorescence to track the conformation and composition of the ribosome in real time during termination and recycling. Our results show that peptide release by RF induces a rotated ribosomal conformation. RRF binds to this rotated intermediate to form the substrate for EF-G that, in turn, catalyzes GTP-dependent subunit disassembly. After the 50S subunit departs, IF3 releases the deacylated tRNA from the 30S subunit, thus preventing reassembly of the 70S ribosome. Our findings reveal the post-termination rotated state as the crucial intermediate in the transition from termination to recycling.
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34
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Noller HF, Lancaster L, Zhou J, Mohan S. The ribosome moves: RNA mechanics and translocation. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2017; 24:1021-1027. [PMID: 29215639 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.3505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
During protein synthesis, mRNA and tRNAs must be moved rapidly through the ribosome while maintaining the translational reading frame. This process is coupled to large- and small-scale conformational rearrangements in the ribosome, mainly in its rRNA. The free energy from peptide-bond formation and GTP hydrolysis is probably used to impose directionality on those movements. We propose that the free energy is coupled to two pawls, namely tRNA and EF-G, which enable two ratchet mechanisms to act separately and sequentially on the two ribosomal subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry F Noller
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology and Center for Molecular Biology of RNA, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Laura Lancaster
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology and Center for Molecular Biology of RNA, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Jie Zhou
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology and Center for Molecular Biology of RNA, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Srividya Mohan
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology and Center for Molecular Biology of RNA, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
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35
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Abstract
During protein synthesis, the ribosome simultaneously binds up to three different transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules. Among the three tRNA binding sites, the regulatory role of the exit (E) site, where deacylated tRNA spontaneously dissociates from the translational complex, has remained elusive. Here we use two donor-quencher pairs to observe and correlate both the conformation of ribosomes and tRNAs as well as tRNA occupancy. Our results reveal a partially rotated state of the ribosome wherein all three tRNA sites are occupied during translation elongation. The appearance and lifetime of this state depend on the E-site tRNA dissociation kinetics, which may vary among tRNA species and depends on temperature and ionic strength. The 3-tRNA partially rotated state is not a proper substrate for elongation factor G (EF-G), thus inhibiting translocation until the E-site tRNA dissociates. Our result presents two parallel kinetic pathways during translation elongation, underscoring the ability of E-site codons to modulate the dynamics of protein synthesis.
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36
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Noller HF. The parable of the caveman and the Ferrari: protein synthesis and the RNA world. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0187. [PMID: 28138073 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The basic steps of protein synthesis are carried out by the ribosome, a very large and complex ribonucleoprotein particle. In keeping with its proposed emergence from an RNA world, all three of its core mechanisms-aminoacyl-tRNA selection, catalysis of peptide bond formation and coupled translocation of mRNA and tRNA-are embodied in the properties of ribosomal RNA, while its proteins play a supportive role.This article is part of the themed issue 'Perspectives on the ribosome'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry F Noller
- Center for Molecular Biology of RNA, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA .,Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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37
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Frank J. The translation elongation cycle-capturing multiple states by cryo-electron microscopy. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0180. [PMID: 28138066 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During the work cycle of elongation, the ribosome, a molecular machine of vast complexity, exists in a large number of states distinguished by constellation of its subunits, its subunit domains and binding partners. Single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), developed over the past 40 years, is uniquely suited to determine the structure of molecular machines in their native states. With the emergence, 10 years ago, of unsupervised clustering techniques in the analysis of single-particle data, it has been possible to determine multiple structures from a sample containing ribosomes equilibrating in different thermally accessible states. In addition, recent advances in detector technology have made it possible to reach near-atomic resolution for some of these states. With these capabilities, single-particle cryo-EM has been at the forefront of exploring ribosome dynamics during its functional cycle, along with single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer and molecular dynamics computations, offering insights into molecular architecture uniquely honed by evolution to capitalize on thermal energy in the ambient environment.This article is part of the themed issue 'Perspectives on the ribosome'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Frank
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, Black Building, 650 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, Black Building, 650 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, Black Building, 650 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
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38
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Ribosome structural dynamics in translocation: yet another functional role for ribosomal RNA. Q Rev Biophys 2017; 50:e12. [DOI: 10.1017/s0033583517000117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractRibosomes are remarkable ribonucleoprotein complexes that are responsible for protein synthesis in all forms of life. They polymerize polypeptide chains programmed by nucleotide sequences in messenger RNA in a mechanism mediated by transfer RNA. One of the most challenging problems in the ribosome field is to understand the mechanism of coupled translocation of mRNA and tRNA during the elongation phase of protein synthesis. In recent years, the results of structural, biophysical and biochemical studies have provided extensive evidence that translocation is based on the structural dynamics of the ribosome itself. Detailed structural analysis has shown that ribosome dynamics, like aminoacyl-tRNA selection and catalysis of peptide bond formation, is made possible by the properties of ribosomal RNA.
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39
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Ghalei H, Trepreau J, Collins JC, Bhaskaran H, Strunk BS, Karbstein K. The ATPase Fap7 Tests the Ability to Carry Out Translocation-like Conformational Changes and Releases Dim1 during 40S Ribosome Maturation. Mol Cell 2017; 67:990-1000.e3. [PMID: 28890337 PMCID: PMC6192259 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Late in their maturation, nascent small (40S) ribosomal subunits bind 60S subunits to produce 80S-like ribosomes. Because of the analogy of this translation-like cycle to actual translation, and because 80S-like ribosomes do not produce any protein, it has been suggested that this represents a quality control mechanism for subunit functionality. Here we use genetic and biochemical experiments to show that the essential ATPase Fap7 promotes formation of the rotated state, a key intermediate in translocation, thereby releasing the essential assembly factor Dim1 from pre-40S subunits. Bypassing this quality control step produces defects in reading frame maintenance. These results show how progress in the maturation cascade is linked to a test for a key functionality of 40S ribosomes: their ability to translocate the mRNA⋅tRNA pair. Furthermore, our data demonstrate for the first time that the translation-like cycle is a quality control mechanism that ensures the fidelity of the cellular ribosome pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Homa Ghalei
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Juliette Trepreau
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Jason C Collins
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Hari Bhaskaran
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Bethany S Strunk
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Katrin Karbstein
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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40
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Maji S, Shahoei R, Schulten K, Frank J. Quantitative Characterization of Domain Motions in Molecular Machines. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:3747-3756. [PMID: 28199113 PMCID: PMC5479934 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b10732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The work of molecular machines such as the ribosome is accompanied by conformational changes, often characterized by relative motions of their domains. The method we have developed seeks to quantify these motions in a general way, facilitating comparisons of results obtained by different researchers. Typically there are multiple snapshots of a structure in the form of pdb coordinates resulting from flexible fitting of low-resolution density maps, from X-ray crystallography, or from molecular dynamics simulation trajectories. Our objective is to characterize the motion of each domain as a coordinate transformation using moments of inertia tensor, a method we developed earlier. What has been missing until now are ancillary tools that make this task practical, general, and biologically informative. We have provided a comprehensive solution to this task with a set of tools implemented on the VMD platform. These tools address the need for reproducible segmentation of domains, and provide a generalized description of their motions using principal axes of inertia. Although this methodology has been specifically developed for studying ribosome motion, it is applicable to any molecular machine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvrajit Maji
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University
| | - Rezvan Shahoei
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Center for the Physics of Living Cells, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Klaus Schulten
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Center for the Physics of Living Cells, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Joachim Frank
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University
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41
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Recurring RNA structural motifs underlie the mechanics of L1 stalk movement. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14285. [PMID: 28176782 PMCID: PMC5309774 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The L1 stalk of the large ribosomal subunit undergoes large-scale movements coupled to the translocation of deacylated tRNA during protein synthesis. We use quantitative comparative structural analysis to localize the origins of L1 stalk movement and to understand its dynamic interactions with tRNA and other structural elements of the ribosome. Besides its stacking interactions with the tRNA elbow, stalk movement is directly linked to intersubunit rotation, rotation of the 30S head domain and contact of the acceptor arm of deacylated tRNA with helix 68 of 23S rRNA. Movement originates from pivoting at stacked non-canonical base pairs in a Family A three-way junction and bending in an internal G-U-rich zone. Use of these same motifs as hinge points to enable such dynamic events as rotation of the 30S subunit head domain and in flexing of the anticodon arm of tRNA suggests that they represent general strategies for movement of functional RNAs. Translocation of the tRNA on the ribosome is associated with large-scale molecular movements of the ribosomal L1 stalk. Here the authors identify the key determinants that allow these dramatic movements, and suggest they represent general strategies used to enable large-scale motions in functional RNAs.
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42
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Xie P. Dynamic relationships between ribosomal conformational and RNA positional changes during ribosomal translocation. Heliyon 2016; 2:e00214. [PMID: 28070564 PMCID: PMC5219732 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2016.e00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosomal translocation catalyzed by EF-G hydrolyzing GTP entails multiple conformational changes of ribosome and positional changes of tRNAs and mRNA in the ribosome. However, the detailed dynamic relations among these changes and EF-G sampling are not clear. Here, based on our proposed pathway of ribosomal translocation, we study theoretically the dynamic relations among these changes exhibited in the single molecule data and those exhibited in the ensemble kinetic data. It is shown that the timing of these changes in the single molecule data and that in the ensemble kinetic data show very different. The theoretical results are in agreement with both the available ensemble kinetic experimental data and the single molecule experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Xie
- Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics and Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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43
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Belardinelli R, Sharma H, Peske F, Wintermeyer W, Rodnina MV. Translocation as continuous movement through the ribosome. RNA Biol 2016; 13:1197-1203. [PMID: 27801619 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2016.1240140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In each round of translation elongation, tRNAs and mRNA move within the ribosome by one codon at a time. tRNA-mRNA translocation is promoted by elongation factor G (EF-G) at the cost of GTP hydrolysis. The key questions for understanding translocation are how and when the tRNAs move and how EF-G coordinates motions of the ribosomal subunits with tRNA movement. Here we present 2 recent papers which describe the choreography of movements over the whole trajectory of translocation. We present the view that EF-G accelerates translocation by promoting the steps that lead to GTPase-dependent ribosome unlocking. EF-G facilitates the formation of the rotated state of the ribosome and uncouples the backward motions of the ribosomal subunits, forming an open conformation in which the tRNAs can rapidly move. Ribosome dynamics are important not only in translocation, but also in recoding events, such as frameshifting and bypassing, and mediate sensitivity to antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Belardinelli
- a Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Department of Physical Biochemistry , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Heena Sharma
- a Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Department of Physical Biochemistry , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Frank Peske
- a Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Department of Physical Biochemistry , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wintermeyer
- a Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Department of Physical Biochemistry , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Marina V Rodnina
- a Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Department of Physical Biochemistry , Göttingen , Germany
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44
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Nguyen K, Whitford PC. Capturing Transition States for tRNA Hybrid-State Formation in the Ribosome. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:8768-75. [PMID: 27479146 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b04476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In order to quantitatively describe the energetics of biomolecular rearrangements, it is necessary to identify reaction coordinates that accurately capture the relevant transition events. Here, we perform simulations of A-site tRNA movement (∼20 Å) during hybrid-state formation in the ribosome and quantify the ability of interatomic distances to capture the transition state ensemble. Numerous coordinates are found to be accurate indicators of the transition state, allowing tRNA rearrangements to be described as diffusion across a one-dimensional free-energy surface. In addition to providing insights into the physical-chemical relationship between biomolecular structure and dynamics, these results can help enable single-molecule techniques to probe the free-energy landscape of the ribosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kien Nguyen
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University , Dana Research Center 123, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Paul C Whitford
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University , Dana Research Center 123, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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45
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Sharma H, Adio S, Senyushkina T, Belardinelli R, Peske F, Rodnina MV. Kinetics of Spontaneous and EF-G-Accelerated Rotation of Ribosomal Subunits. Cell Rep 2016; 16:2187-2196. [PMID: 27524615 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.07.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosome dynamics play an important role in translation. The rotation of the ribosomal subunits relative to one another is essential for tRNA-mRNA translocation. An important unresolved question is whether subunit rotation limits the rate of translocation. Here, we monitor subunit rotation relative to peptide bond formation and translocation using ensemble kinetics and single-molecule FRET. We observe that spontaneous forward subunit rotation occurs at a rate of 40 s(-1), independent of the rate of preceding peptide bond formation. Elongation factor G (EF-G) accelerates forward subunit rotation to 200 s(-1). tRNA-mRNA movement is much slower (10-40 s(-1)), suggesting that forward subunit rotation does not limit the rate of translocation. The transition back to the non-rotated state of the ribosome kinetically coincides with tRNA-mRNA movement. Thus, large-scale movements of the ribosome are intrinsically rapid and gated by its ligands such as EF-G and tRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heena Sharma
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Adio
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tamara Senyushkina
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Riccardo Belardinelli
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Frank Peske
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marina V Rodnina
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
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46
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Shakiba B, Dayeri M, Mohammad-Rafiee F. Modeling of ribosome dynamics on a ds-mRNA under an external load. J Chem Phys 2016; 145:025101. [PMID: 27421425 DOI: 10.1063/1.4958321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein molecules in cells are synthesized by macromolecular machines called ribosomes. According to the recent experimental data, we reduce the complexity of the ribosome and propose a model to express its activity in six main states. Using our model, we study the translation rate in different biological relevant situations in the presence of external force and the translation through the RNA double stranded region in the absence or presence of the external force. In the present study, we give a quantitative theory for translation rate and show that the ribosome behaves more like a Brownian Ratchet motor. Our findings could shed some light on understanding behaviors of the ribosome in biological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahareh Shakiba
- Department of Physics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan 45137-66731, Iran
| | - Maryam Dayeri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan 45137-66731, Iran
| | - Farshid Mohammad-Rafiee
- Department of Physics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan 45137-66731, Iran
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47
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Rozov A, Demeshkina N, Westhof E, Yusupov M, Yusupova G. New Structural Insights into Translational Miscoding. Trends Biochem Sci 2016; 41:798-814. [PMID: 27372401 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The fidelity of translation depends strongly on the selection of the correct aminoacyl-tRNA that is complementary to the mRNA codon present in the ribosomal decoding center. The ribosome occasionally makes mistakes by selecting the wrong substrate from the pool of aminoacyl-tRNAs. Here, we summarize recent structural advances that may help to clarify the origin of missense errors that occur during decoding. These developments suggest that discrimination between tRNAs is based primarily on steric complementarity and shape acceptance rather than on the number of hydrogen bonds between the molding of the decoding center and the codon-anticodon duplex. They strengthen the hypothesis that spatial mimicry, due either to base tautomerism or ionization, drives infidelity in ribosomal translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Rozov
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, CNRS, UMR7104/INSERM, U964/University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Natalia Demeshkina
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, CNRS, UMR7104/INSERM, U964/University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Eric Westhof
- Architecture and Reactivity of RNA, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the CNRS UPR9002/University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marat Yusupov
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, CNRS, UMR7104/INSERM, U964/University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Gulnara Yusupova
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, CNRS, UMR7104/INSERM, U964/University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
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48
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The molecular choreography of protein synthesis: translational control, regulation, and pathways. Q Rev Biophys 2016; 49:e11. [PMID: 27658712 DOI: 10.1017/s0033583516000056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Translation of proteins by the ribosome regulates gene expression, with recent results underscoring the importance of translational control. Misregulation of translation underlies many diseases, including cancer and many genetic diseases. Decades of biochemical and structural studies have delineated many of the mechanistic details in prokaryotic translation, and sketched the outlines of eukaryotic translation. However, translation may not proceed linearly through a single mechanistic pathway, but likely involves multiple pathways and branchpoints. The stochastic nature of biological processes would allow different pathways to occur during translation that are biased by the interaction of the ribosome with other translation factors, with many of the steps kinetically controlled. These multiple pathways and branchpoints are potential regulatory nexus, allowing gene expression to be tuned at the translational level. As research focus shifts toward eukaryotic translation, certain themes will be echoed from studies on prokaryotic translation. This review provides a general overview of the dynamic data related to prokaryotic and eukaryotic translation, in particular recent findings with single-molecule methods, complemented by biochemical, kinetic, and structural findings. We will underscore the importance of viewing the process through the viewpoints of regulation, translational control, and heterogeneous pathways.
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Murray J, Savva CG, Shin BS, Dever TE, Ramakrishnan V, Fernández IS. Structural characterization of ribosome recruitment and translocation by type IV IRES. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27159451 PMCID: PMC4861600 DOI: 10.7554/elife.13567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral mRNA sequences with a type IV IRES are able to initiate translation without any host initiation factors. Initial recruitment of the small ribosomal subunit as well as two translocation steps before the first peptidyl transfer are essential for the initiation of translation by these mRNAs. Using electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) we have structurally characterized at high resolution how the Cricket Paralysis Virus Internal Ribosomal Entry Site (CrPV-IRES) binds the small ribosomal subunit (40S) and the translocation intermediate stabilized by elongation factor 2 (eEF2). The CrPV-IRES restricts the otherwise flexible 40S head to a conformation compatible with binding the large ribosomal subunit (60S). Once the 60S is recruited, the binary CrPV-IRES/80S complex oscillates between canonical and rotated states (Fernández et al., 2014; Koh et al., 2014), as seen for pre-translocation complexes with tRNAs. Elongation factor eEF2 with a GTP analog stabilizes the ribosome-IRES complex in a rotated state with an extra ~3 degrees of rotation. Key residues in domain IV of eEF2 interact with pseudoknot I (PKI) of the CrPV-IRES stabilizing it in a conformation reminiscent of a hybrid tRNA state. The structure explains how diphthamide, a eukaryotic and archaeal specific post-translational modification of a histidine residue of eEF2, is involved in translocation. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13567.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Murray
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | | | - Byung-Sik Shin
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Thomas E Dever
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - V Ramakrishnan
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Abeyrathne PD, Koh CS, Grant T, Grigorieff N, Korostelev AA. Ensemble cryo-EM uncovers inchworm-like translocation of a viral IRES through the ribosome. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27159452 PMCID: PMC4896748 DOI: 10.7554/elife.14874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) mediate cap-independent translation of viral mRNAs. Using electron cryo-microscopy of a single specimen, we present five ribosome structures formed with the Taura syndrome virus IRES and translocase eEF2•GTP bound with sordarin. The structures suggest a trajectory of IRES translocation, required for translation initiation, and provide an unprecedented view of eEF2 dynamics. The IRES rearranges from extended to bent to extended conformations. This inchworm-like movement is coupled with ribosomal inter-subunit rotation and 40S head swivel. eEF2, attached to the 60S subunit, slides along the rotating 40S subunit to enter the A site. Its diphthamide-bearing tip at domain IV separates the tRNA-mRNA-like pseudoknot I (PKI) of the IRES from the decoding center. This unlocks 40S domains, facilitating head swivel and biasing IRES translocation via hitherto-elusive intermediates with PKI captured between the A and P sites. The structures suggest missing links in our understanding of tRNA translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cha San Koh
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - Timothy Grant
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Nikolaus Grigorieff
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Andrei A Korostelev
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
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