Translocation at work

COVID-19: Mechanisms of the Antiviral Activities of Selective Antibiotics Targeting the Human 80S Ribosome

Background:

The majority of scientists, physicians, and healthcare professionals were trained with the paradigm: “antibiotics are for bacteria only !”, because they misunderstood the definition of the ribosome targeting antibiotics. In the context of the current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, it might be useful to recall as precisely as possible the definition of the word antibiotic and provide evidence that some classes of antibiotics could offer excellent means to counteract viral infections via specific mechanisms.

Methods:

Molecular modeling and docking studies were used, as well as the tRNAox labeling reaction of the ribosomal protein eL42 in situ on human 80S ribosomes to demonstrate that cycloheximide and its thiosemicarbazone analogues bind to the catalytic Lys-53 residue of the human large subunit ribosomal protein eL42.

Results:

Comparison of the binding sites for Cycloheximide (CHX) and Sparsomycin (SPS) on the evolutionarily conserved E. coli bL12 and S. cerevisiae eL42 by means of molecular modeling and docking studies showed that: (i) SPS binds in proximity to the catalytic Lys-65 residue of the GANK motif of rp bL12 and to the catalytic Lys-55 residue of the GGQTKP motif of rp eL42; (ii) CHX failed to bind to the GANK motif, while the glutarimide moiety of SPS and CHX was found to make contact with Lys-55 of the GGQTKP motif of rp eL42.

Conclusion:

In this report, we demonstrate that cycloheximide and its thiosemicarbazone analogues are capable of inhibiting the human 80S ribosomes selectively through their binding to the ε-amino group of the side chain of Lys-53. As a consequence, these small-molecule inhibitors of translation are susceptible to exhibit antiviral activities by preventing the human ribosomes of the SARS-CoV-2 infected cells from synthesizing the viral proteins and enzymes.

The Ribosome as an Allosterically Regulated Molecular Machine

The ribosome as a complex molecular machine undergoes significant conformational rearrangements during the synthesis of polypeptide chains of proteins. In this review, information obtained using various experimental methods on the internal consistency of such rearrangements is discussed. It is demonstrated that allosteric regulation involves all the main stages of the operation of the ribosome and connects functional elements remote by tens and even hundreds of angstroms. Data obtained using Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) show that translocation is controlled in general by internal mechanisms of the ribosome, and not by the position of the ligands. Chemical probing data revealed the relationship of such remote sites as the decoding, peptidyl transferase, and GTPase centers of the ribosome. Nevertheless, despite the large amount of experimental data accumulated to date, many details and mechanisms of these phenomena are still not understood. Analysis of these data demonstrates that the development of new approaches is necessary for deciphering the mechanisms of allosteric regulation of the operation of the ribosome.

A genetic approach for analyzing the co-operative function of the tRNA mimicry complex, eRF1/eRF3, in translation termination on the ribosome

During termination of translation in eukaryotes, a GTP-binding protein, eRF3, functions within a complex with the tRNA-mimicking protein, eRF1, to decode stop codons. It remains unclear how the tRNA-mimicking protein co-operates with the GTPase and with the functional sites on the ribosome. In order to elucidate the molecular characteristics of tRNA-mimicking proteins involved in stop codon decoding, we have devised a heterologous genetic system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that eRF3 from Pneumocystis carinii (Pc-eRF3) did not complement depletion of S. cerevisiae eRF3. The strength of Pc-eRF3 binding to Sc-eRF1 depends on the GTP-binding domain, suggesting that defects of the GTPase switch in the heterologous complex causes the observed lethality. We isolated mutants of Pc-eRF3 and Sc-eRF1 that restore cell growth in the presence of Pc-eRF3 as the sole source of eRF3. Mapping of these mutations onto the latest 3D-complex structure revealed that they were located in the binding-interface region between eRF1 and eRF3, as well as in the ribosomal functional sites. Intriguingly, a novel functional site was revealed adjacent to the decoding site of eRF1, on the tip domain that mimics the tRNA anticodon loop. This novel domain likely participates in codon recognition, coupled with the GTPase function.

The protein invasion: a broad review on the origin of the translational system

Translation, coded peptide synthesis, arguably exists at the heart of modern cellular life. By orchestrating an incredibly complex interaction between tRNAs, mRNAs, aaRSs, the ribosome, and numerous other small molecules, the translational system allows the interpretation of data in the form of DNA to create massively complex proteins which control and enact almost every cellular function. A natural question then, is how did this system evolve? Here we present a broad review of the existing theories of the last two decades on the origin of the translational system. We attempt to synthesize the wide variety of ideas as well as organize them into modular components, addressing the evolution of the peptide-RNA interaction, tRNA, mRNA, the ribosome, and the first proteins separately. We hope to provide both a comprehensive overview of the literature as well as a framework for future discussions and novel theories.