Gluehmann M, Zarivach R, Bashan A, Harms J, Schluenzen F, Bartels H, Agmon I, Rosenblum G, Pioletti M, Auerbach T, Avila H, Hansen HA, Franceschi F, Yonath A. Ribosomal crystallography: from poorly diffracting microcrystals to high-resolution structures.
Methods 2001;
25:292-302. [PMID:
11860283 DOI:
10.1006/meth.2001.1241]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular organelles translating the genetic code into proteins, the ribosomes, are large, asymmetric, flexible, and unstable ribonucleoprotein assemblies, hence they are difficult to crystallize. Despite two decades of intensive effort and thorough searches for suitable sources, so far only three crystal types have yielded high-resolution structures: two large subunits (from an archaean and from a mesophilic eubacterium) and one thermophilic small subunit. These structures have added to our understanding of decoding, have revealed dynamic aspects of the biosynthetic process, and have indicated the strategies adopted by ribosomes for interacting between themselves as well as with inhibitors, factors and substrates.
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