Mapping functionally important motifs SPF and GGQ of the decoding release factor RF2 to the Escherichia coli ribosome by hydroxyl radical footprinting. Implications for macromolecular mimicry and structural changes in RF2

Rescuing stalled mammalian mitoribosomes - what can we learn from bacteria?

In the canonical process of translation, newly completed proteins escape from the ribosome following cleavage of the ester bond that anchors the polypeptide to the P-site tRNA, after which the ribosome can be recycled to initiate a new round of translation. Not all protein synthesis runs to completion as various factors can impede the progression of ribosomes. Rescuing of stalled ribosomes in mammalian mitochondria, however, does not share the same mechanisms that many bacteria use. The classic method for rescuing bacterial ribosomes is trans-translation. The key components of this system are absent from mammalian mitochondria; however, four members of a translation termination factor family are present, with some evidence of homology to members of a bacterial back-up rescue system. To date, there is no definitive demonstration of any other member of this family functioning in mitoribosome rescue. Here, we provide an overview of the processes and key players of canonical translation termination in both bacteria and mammalian mitochondria, followed by a perspective of the bacterial systems used to rescue stalled ribosomes. We highlight any similarities or differences with the mitochondrial translation release factors, and suggest potential roles for these proteins in ribosome rescue in mammalian mitochondria.

'Stop' in protein synthesis is modulated with exquisite subtlety by an extended RNA translation signal

Translational stop codons, UAA, UAG, and UGA, form an integral part of the universal genetic code. They are of significant interest today for their underlying fundamental role in terminating protein synthesis, but also for their potential utilisation for programmed alternative translation events. In diverse organisms, UAA has wide usage, but it is puzzling that the high fidelity UAG is selected against and yet UGA, vulnerable to suppression, is widely used, particularly in those archaeal and bacterial genomes with a high GC content. In canonical protein synthesis, stop codons are interpreted by protein release factors that structurally and functionally mimic decoding tRNAs and occupy the decoding site on the ribosome. The release factors make close contact with the decoding complex through multiple interactions. Correct interactions cause conformational changes resulting in new and enhanced contacts with the ribosome, particularly between specific bases in the mRNA and rRNA. The base following the stop codon (fourth or +4 base) may strongly influence decoding efficiency, facilitating alternative non-canonical events like frameshifting or selenocysteine incorporation. The fourth base is drawn into the decoding site with a compacted stop codon in the eukaryotic termination complex. Surprisingly, mRNA sequences upstream and downstream of this core tetranucleotide signal have a significant influence on the strength of the signal. Since nine bases downstream of the stop codon are within the mRNA channel, their interactions with rRNA, and r-proteins may affect efficiency. With this understanding, it is now possible to design stop signals of desired strength for specific applied purposes.

Role of Protein L25 and Its Contact with Protein L16 in Maintaining the Active State of Escherichia coli Ribosomes in vivo

A ribosomal protein of the L25 family specifically binding to 5S rRNA is an evolutionary feature of bacteria. Structural studies showed that within the ribosome this protein contacts not only 5S rRNA, but also the C-terminal region of protein L16. Earlier we demonstrated that ribosomes from the ΔL25 strain of Escherichia coli have reduced functional activity. In the present work, it is established that the reason for this is a fraction of functionally inactive 50S ribosomal subunits. These subunits have a deficit of protein L16 and associate very weakly with 30S subunits. To study the role of the contact of these two proteins in the formation of the active ribosome, we created a number of E. coli strains containing protein L16 with changes in its C-terminal region. We found that some mutations (K133L or K127L/K133L) in this protein lead to a noticeable slowing of cell growth and decrease in the activity of their translational apparatus. As in the case of the ribosomes from the ΔL25 strain, the fraction of 50S subunits, which are deficient in protein L16, is present in the ribosomes of the mutant strains. All these data indicate that the contact with protein L25 is important for the retention of protein L16 within the E. coli ribosome in vivo. In the light of these findings, the role of the protein of the L25 family in maintaining the active state of the bacterial ribosome is discussed.

Unravelling post-transcriptional PrmC-dependent regulatory mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Transcriptional regulation has a central role in cellular adaptation processes and is well investigated. In contrast, the importance of the post-transcriptional regulation on these processes is less well defined. The technological advancements have been critical to precisely quantify protein and mRNA level changes and hold promise to provide more insights into how post-transcriptional regulation determines phenotypes. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa the methyltransferase PrmC methylates peptide chain release factors to facilitate translation termination. Loss of PrmC activity abolishes anaerobic growth and leads to reduced production of quorum sensing-associated virulence factors. Here, by applying SILAC technology in combination with mRNA-sequencing, they provide evidence that the P. aeruginosa phenotype can be attributed to a change in protein to mRNA ratios of selected protein groups. The UAG-dependent translation termination was more dependent on PrmC activity than the UAA- and UGA-dependent translation termination. Additionally, a bias toward UAG stop codons in global transcriptional regulators was found. The finding that this bias in stop codon usage determines the P. aeruginosa phenotype is unexpected and adds complexity to regulatory circuits. Via modulation of PrmC activity the bacterial cell can cross-regulate targets independently of transcriptional signals, a process with an underestimated impact on the bacterial phenotype.

The fail-safe system to rescue the stalled ribosomes in Escherichia coli

Translation terminates at stop codon. Without stop codon, ribosome cannot terminate translation properly and reaches and stalls at the 3′-end of the mRNA lacking stop codon. Bacterial tmRNA-mediated trans-translation releases such stalled ribosome and targets the protein product to degradation by adding specific “degradation tag.” Recently two alternative ribosome rescue factors, ArfA (YhdL) and ArfB (YaeJ), have been found in Escherichia coli. These three ribosome rescue systems are different each other in terms of molecular mechanism of ribosome rescue and their activity, but they are mutually related and co-operate to maintain the translation system in shape. This suggests the biological significance of ribosome rescue.

Termination of protein synthesis in mammalian mitochondria

All mechanisms of protein synthesis can be considered in four stages: initiation, elongation, termination, and ribosome recycling. Remarkable progress has been made in understanding how these processes are mediated in the cytosol of many species; however, details of organellar protein synthesis remain sketchy. This is an important omission, as defects in human mitochondrial translation are known to cause disease and may contribute to the aging process itself. In this minireview, we focus on the recent advances that have been made in understanding how one of these processes, translation termination, occurs in the human mitochondrion.

Three distinct peptides from the N domain of translation termination factor eRF1 surround stop codon in the ribosome

To study positioning of the polypeptide release factor eRF1 toward a stop signal in the ribosomal decoding site, we applied photoactivatable mRNA analogs, derivatives of oligoribonucleotides. The human eRF1 peptides cross-linked to these short mRNAs were identified. Cross-linkers on the guanines at the second, third, and fourth stop signal positions modified fragment 31-33, and to lesser extent amino acids within region 121-131 (the "YxCxxxF loop") in the N domain. Hence, both regions are involved in the recognition of the purines. A cross-linker at the first uridine of the stop codon modifies Val66 near the NIKS loop (positions 61-64), and this region is important for recognition of the first uridine of stop codons. Since the N domain distinct regions of eRF1 are involved in a stop-codon decoding, the eRF1 decoding site is discontinuous and is not of "protein anticodon" type. By molecular modeling, the eRF1 molecule can be fitted to the A site proximal to the P-site-bound tRNA and to a stop codon in mRNA via a large conformational change to one of its three domains. In the simulated eRF1 conformation, the YxCxxxF motif and positions 31-33 are very close to a stop codon, which becomes also proximal to several parts of the C domain. Thus, in the A-site-bound state, the eRF1 conformation significantly differs from those in crystals and solution. The model suggested for eRF1 conformation in the ribosomal A site and cross-linking data are compatible.

The codon specificity of eubacterial release factors is determined by the sequence and size of the recognition loop

The two codon-specific eubacterial release factors (RF1: UAA/UAG and RF2: UAA/UGA) have specific tripeptide motifs (PXT/SPF) within an exposed recognition loop shown in recent structures to interact with stop codons during protein synthesis termination. The motifs have been inferred to be critical for codon specificity, but this study shows that they are insufficient to determine specificity alone. Swapping the motifs or the entire loop between factors resulted in a loss of codon recognition rather than a switch of codon specificity. From a study of chimeric eubacterial RF1/RF2 recognition loops and an atypical shorter variant in Caenorhabditis elegans mitochondrial RF1 that lacks the classical tripeptide motif PXT, key determinants throughout the whole loop have been defined. It reveals that more than one configuration of the recognition loop based on specific sequence and size can achieve the same desired codon specificity. This study has provided unexpected insight into why a combination of the two factors is necessary in eubacteria to exclude recognition of UGG as stop.

Bioinformatic, structural, and functional analyses support release factor-like MTRF1 as a protein able to decode nonstandard stop codons beginning with adenine in vertebrate mitochondria

Vertebrate mitochondria use stop codons UAA and UAG decoded by the release factor (RF) MTRF1L and two reassigned arginine codons, AGA and AGG. A second highly conserved RF-like factor, MTRF1, which evolved from a gene duplication of an ancestral mitochondrial RF1 and not a RF2, is a good candidate for recognizing the nonstandard codons. MTRF1 differs from other RFs by having insertions in the two external loops important for stop codon recognition (tip of helix alpha5 and recognition loop) and by having key substitutions that are involved in stop codon interactions in eubacterial RF/ribosome structures. These changes may allow recognition of the larger purine base in the first position of AGA/G and, uniquely for RFs, only of G at position 2. In contrast, residues that support A and G recognition in the third position in RF1 are conserved as would be required for recognition of AGA and AGG. Since an assay with vertebrate mitochondrial ribosomes has not been established, we modified Escherichia coli RF1 at the helix alpha5 and recognition loop regions to mimic MTRF1. There was loss of peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis activity with standard stop codons beginning with U (e.g., UAG), but a gain of activity with codons beginning with A (AAG in particular). A lower level of activity with AGA could be enhanced by solvent modification. These observations imply that MTRF1 has the characteristics to recognize A as the first base of a stop codon as would be required to decode the nonstandard codons AGA and AGG.

Kinetics of stop codon recognition by release factor 1

Recognition of stop codons by class I release factors is a fundamental step in the termination phase of protein synthesis. Since premature termination is costly to the cell, release factors have to efficiently discriminate between stop and sense codons. To understand the mechanism of discrimination between stop and sense codons, we developed a new, pre-steady state kinetic assay to monitor the interaction of RF1 with the ribosome. Our results show that RF1 associates with similar association rate constants with ribosomes programmed with stop or sense codons. However, dissociation of RF1 from sense codons is as much as 3 orders of magnitude faster than from stop codons. Interestingly, the affinity of RF1 for ribosomes programmed with different sense codons does not correlate with the defects in peptide release. Thus, discrimination against sense codons is achieved with both an increase in the dissociation rates and a decrease in the rate of peptide release. These results suggest that sense codons inhibit conformational changes necessary for RF1 to stably bind to the ribosome and catalyze peptide release.

Bacterial 5S rRNA-binding proteins of the CTC family

The presence of CTC family proteins is a unique feature of bacterial cells. In the CTC family, there are true ribosomal proteins (found in ribosomes of exponentially growing cells), and at the same time there are also proteins temporarily associated with the ribosome (they are produced by the cells under stress only and incorporate into the ribosome). One feature is common for these proteins - they specifically bind to 5S rRNA. In this review, the history of investigations of the best known representatives of this family is described briefly. Structural organization of the CTC family proteins and their occurrence among known taxonomic bacterial groups are discussed. Structural features of 5S rRNA and CTC protein are described that predetermine their specific interaction. Taking into account the position of a CTC protein and its intermolecular contacts in the ribosome, a possible role of its complex with 5S rRNA in ribosome functioning is discussed.

Peptide release on the ribosome: mechanism and implications for translational control

Peptide release, the reaction that hydrolyzes a completed protein from the peptidyl-tRNA upon completion of translation, is catalyzed in the active site of the large subunit of the ribosome and requires a class I release factor protein. The ribosome and release factor protein cooperate to accomplish two tasks: recognition of the stop codon and catalysis of peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis. Although many fundamental questions remain, substantial progress has been made in the past several years. This review summarizes those advances and presents current models for the mechanisms of stop codon specificity and catalysis of peptide release. Finally, we discuss how these views fit into a larger emerging theme in the translation field: the importance of induced fit and conformational changes for progression through the translation cycle.

Stop codon recognition by release factors induces structural rearrangement of the ribosomal decoding center that is productive for peptide release

Peptide release on the ribosome is catalyzed in the large subunit peptidyl transferase center by release factors on recognition of stop codons in the small subunit decoding center. Here we examine the role of the decoding center in this process. Mutation of decoding center nucleotides or removal of 2'OH groups from the codon--deleterious in the related process of tRNA selection--has only mild effects on peptide release. The miscoding antibiotic paromomycin, which binds the decoding center and promotes the critical steps of tRNA selection, instead dramatically inhibits peptide release. Differences in the kinetic mechanism of paromomycin inhibition on stop and sense codons, paired with correlated structural changes monitored by chemical footprinting, suggest that recognition of stop codons by release factors induces specific structural rearrangements in the small subunit decoding center. We propose that, like other steps in translation, the specificity of peptide release is achieved through an induced-fit mechanism.

Two distinct components of release factor function uncovered by nucleophile partitioning analysis

During translation termination, release factor (RF) protein catalyzes a hydrolytic reaction in the large subunit peptidyl transferase center to release the finished polypeptide chain. While the mechanism of catalysis of peptide release remains obscure, important contributing factors have been identified, including conserved active-site nucleotides and a GGQ tripeptide motif in the RF. Here we describe pre-steady-state kinetic and nucleophile competition experiments to examine RF contributions to the rate and specificity of peptide release. We find that while unacylated tRNA stimulates release in a nondiscriminating manner, RF1 is very specific for water. Further analysis reveals that amino acid Q235 of the RF1 GGQ motif is critical for the observed specificity. These data lead to a model where RFs make two distinct contributions to catalysis--a relatively nonspecific activation of the catalytic center and specific selection of water as a nucleophile facilitated by Q235.

Accommodating the bacterial decoding release factor as an alien protein among the RNAs at the active site of the ribosome

The decoding release factor (RF) triggers termination of protein synthesis by functionally mimicking a tRNA to span the decoding centre and the peptidyl transferase centre (PTC) of the ribosome. Structurally, it must fit into a site crafted for a tRNA and surrounded by five other RNAs, namely the adjacent peptidyl tRNA carrying the completed polypeptide, the mRNA and the three rRNAs. This is achieved by extending a structural domain from the body of the protein that results in a critical conformational change allowing it to contact the PTC. A structural model of the bacterial termination complex with the accommodated RF shows that it makes close contact with the first, second and third bases of the stop codon in the mRNA with two separate loops of structure: the anticodon loop and the loop at the tip of helix alpha5. The anticodon loop also makes contact with the base following the stop codon that is known to strongly influence termination efficiency. It confirms the close contact of domain 3 of the protein with the key RNA structures of the PTC. The mRNA signal for termination includes sequences upstream as well as downstream of the stop codon, and this may reflect structural restrictions for specific combinations of tRNA and RF to be bound onto the ribosome together. An unbiased SELEX approach has been investigated as a tool to identify potential rRNA-binding contacts of the bacterial RF in its different binding conformations within the active centre of the ribosome.

An intact ribose moiety at A2602 of 23S rRNA is key to trigger peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis during translation termination

Peptide bond formation and peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis are the two elementary chemical reactions of protein synthesis catalyzed by the ribosomal peptidyl transferase ribozyme. Due to the combined effort of structural and biochemical studies, details of the peptidyl transfer reaction have become increasingly clearer. However, significantly less is known about the molecular events that lead to peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis at the termination phase of translation. Here we have applied a recently introduced experimental system, which allows the ribosomal peptidyl transferase center (PTC) to be chemically engineered by the introduction of non-natural nucleoside analogs. By this approach single functional group modifications are incorporated, thus allowing their functional contributions in the PTC to be unravelled with improved precision. We show that an intact ribose sugar at the 23S rRNA residue A2602 is crucial for efficient peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis, while having no apparent functional relevance for transpeptidation. Despite the fact that all investigated active site residues are universally conserved, the removal of the complete nucleobase or the ribose 2′-hydroxyl at A2602, U2585, U2506, A2451 or C2063 has no or only marginal inhibitory effects on the overall rate of peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis. These findings underscore the exceptional functional importance of the ribose moiety at A2602 for triggering peptide release.

Eukaryotic class 1 translation termination factor eRF1 − the NMR structure and dynamics of the middle domain involved in triggering ribosome-dependent peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis

The eukaryotic class 1 polypeptide chain release factor is a three-domain protein involved in the termination of translation, the final stage of polypeptide biosynthesis. In attempts to understand the roles of the middle domain of the eukaryotic class 1 polypeptide chain release factor in the transduction of the termination signal from the small to the large ribosomal subunit and in peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis, its high-resolution NMR structure has been obtained. The overall fold and the structure of the beta-strand core of the protein in solution are similar to those found in the crystal. However, the orientation of the functionally critical GGQ loop and neighboring alpha-helices has genuine and noticeable differences in solution and in the crystal. Backbone amide protons of most of the residues in the GGQ loop undergo fast exchange with water. However, in the AGQ mutant, where functional activity is abolished, a significant reduction in the exchange rate of the amide protons has been observed without a noticeable change in the loop conformation, providing evidence for the GGQ loop interaction with water molecule(s) that may serve as a substrate for the hydrolytic cleavage of the peptidyl-tRNA in the ribosome. The protein backbone dynamics, studied using 15N relaxation experiments, showed that the GGQ loop is the most flexible part of the middle domain. The conformational flexibility of the GGQ and 215-223 loops, which are situated at opposite ends of the longest alpha-helix, could be a determinant of the functional activity of the eukaryotic class 1 polypeptide chain release factor, with that helix acting as the trigger to transmit the signals from one loop to the other.

Release factors 2 from Escherichia coli and Thermus thermophilus: structural, spectroscopic and microcalorimetric studies

Prokaryotic class I release factors (RFs) respond to mRNA stop codons and terminate protein synthesis. They interact with the ribosomal decoding site and the peptidyl-transferase centre bridging these 75 Å distant ribosomal centres. For this an elongated RF conformation, with partially unfolded core domains II·III·IV is required, which contrasts the known compact RF crystal structures. The crystal structure of Thermus thermophilus RF2 was determined and compared with solution structure of T. thermophilus and Escherichia coli RF2 by microcalorimetry, circular dichroism spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering. The structure of T. thermophilus RF2 in solution at 20°C is predominantly compact like the crystal structure. Thermodynamic analysis point to an initial melting of domain I, which is independent from the melting of the core. The core domains II·III·IV melt cooperatively at the respective physiological temperatures for T. thermophilus and E. coli. Thermodynamic analyses and the X-ray scattering results for T. thermophilus RF2 in solution suggest that the compact conformation of RF2 resembles a physiological state in absence of the ribosome.

RNA-protein interactions at the initial and terminal stages of protein biosynthesis as investigated by Lev Kisselev (on the occasion of his 70th anniversary)

This review highlights studies by Lev L. Kisselev and his colleagues on the initial and terminal stages of protein biosynthesis, which cover the period of the last 45 years (1961-2006). They investigated spatial structure of tRNAs, structure and functions of aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetases of higher organisms, and the final step of protein synthesis, termination of translation. L. Kisselev and his team have made three major contributions to these fields of molecular biology; (i) they proposed the hypothesis on the role of anticodon triplet of tRNA in recognition by cognate aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, which has been experimentally confirmed and is now included in textbooks; (ii) identified primary structures and functions of two eukaryotic protein factors (eRF1 and eRF3) playing a pivotal role in translation termination; (iii) characterized a structural basis for stop codon recognition by eRF1 within the ribosome and discovered the negative structural elements of eRF1, limiting its recognition of one or two stop-codons.

The ribosomal peptidyl transferase center: structure, function, evolution, inhibition

The ribosomal peptidyl transferase center (PTC) resides in the large ribosomal subunit and catalyzes the two principal chemical reactions of protein synthesis: peptide bond formation and peptide release. The catalytic mechanisms employed and their inhibition by antibiotics have been in the focus of molecular and structural biologists for decades. With the elucidation of atomic structures of the large ribosomal subunit at the dawn of the new millennium, these questions gained a new level of molecular significance. The crystallographic structures compellingly confirmed that peptidyl transferase is an RNA enzyme. This places the ribosome on the list of naturally occurring ribozymes that outlived the transition from the pre-biotic RNA World to contemporary biology. Biochemical, genetic and structural evidence highlight the role of the ribosome as an entropic catalyst that accelerates peptide bond formation primarily by substrate positioning. At the same time, peptide release should more strongly depend on chemical catalysis likely involving an rRNA group of the PTC. The PTC is characterized by the most pronounced accumulation of universally conserved rRNA nucleotides in the entire ribosome. Thus, it came as a surprise that recent findings revealed an unexpected high level of variation in the mode of antibiotic binding to the PTC of ribosomes from different organisms.

An induced-fit mechanism to promote peptide bond formation and exclude hydrolysis of peptidyl-tRNA

The large ribosomal subunit catalyses the reaction between the alpha-amino group of the aminoacyl-tRNA bound to the A site and the ester carbon of the peptidyl-tRNA bound to the P site, while preventing the nucleophilic attack of water on the ester, which would lead to unprogrammed deacylation of the peptidyl-tRNA. Here we describe three new structures of the large ribosomal subunit of Haloarcula marismortui (Hma) complexed with peptidyl transferase substrate analogues that reveal an induced-fit mechanism in which substrates and active-site residues reposition to allow the peptidyl transferase reaction. Proper binding of an aminoacyl-tRNA analogue to the A site induces specific movements of 23S rRNA nucleotides 2618-2620 (Escherichia coli numbering 2583-2585) and 2541(2506), thereby reorienting the ester group of the peptidyl-tRNA and making it accessible for attack. In the absence of the appropriate A-site substrate, the peptidyl transferase centre positions the ester link of the peptidyl-tRNA in a conformation that precludes the catalysed nucleophilic attack by water. Protein release factors may also function, in part, by inducing an active-site rearrangement similar to that produced by the A-site aminoacyl-tRNA, allowing the carbonyl group and water to be positioned for hydrolysis.

Common and specific amino acid residues in the prokaryotic polypeptide release factors RF1 and RF2: possible functional implications

Termination of protein synthesis is promoted in ribosomes by proper stop codon discrimination by class 1 polypeptide release factors (RFs). A large set of prokaryotic RFs differing in stop codon specificity, RF1 for UAG and UAA, and RF2 for UGA and UAA, was analyzed by means of a recently developed computational method allowing identification of the specificity-determining positions (SDPs) in families composed of proteins with similar but not identical function. Fifteen SDPs were identified within the RF1/2 superdomain II/IV known to be implicated in stop codon decoding. Three of these SDPs had particularly high scores. Five residues invariant for RF1 and RF2 [invariant amino acid residues (IRs)] were spatially clustered with the highest-scoring SDPs that in turn were located in two zones within the SDP/IR area. Zone 1 (domain II) included PxT and SPF motifs identified earlier by others as ‘discriminator tripeptides’. We suggest that IRs in this zone take part in the recognition of U, the first base of all stop codons. Zone 2 (domain IV) possessed two SDPs with the highest scores not identified earlier. Presumably, they also take part in stop codon binding and discrimination. Elucidation of potential functional role(s) of the newly identified SDP/IR zones requires further experiments.

Localization of spermine binding sites in 23S rRNA by photoaffinity labeling: parsing the spermine contribution to ribosomal 50S subunit functions

Polyamine binding to 23S rRNA was investigated, using a photoaffinity labeling approach. This was based on the covalent binding of a photoreactive analog of spermine, N¹-azidobenzamidino (ABA)-spermine, to Escherichia coli ribosomes or naked 23S rRNA under mild irradiation conditions. The cross-linking sites of ABA-spermine in 23S rRNA were determined by RNase H digestion and primer-extension analysis. Domains I, II, IV and V in naked 23S rRNA were identified as discrete regions of preferred cross-linking. When 50S ribosomal subunits were targeted, the interaction of the photoprobe with the above 23S rRNA domains was elevated, except for helix H38 in domain II whose susceptibility to cross-linking was greatly reduced. In addition, cross-linking sites were identified in domains III and VI. Association of 30S with 50S subunits, poly(U), tRNA^Phe and AcPhe-tRNA to form a post-translocation complex further altered the cross-linking, in particular to helices H11–H13, H21, H63, H80, H84, H90 and H97. Poly(U)-programmed 70S ribosomes, reconstituted from photolabeled 50S subunits and untreated 30S subunits, bound AcPhe-tRNA in a similar fashion to native ribosomes. However, they exhibited higher reactivity toward puromycin and enhanced tRNA-translocation efficiency. These results suggest an essential role for polyamines in the structural and functional integrity of the large ribosomal subunit.

Structural analyses of peptide release factor 1 from Thermotoga maritima reveal domain flexibility required for its interaction with the ribosome

We have determined the crystal structure of peptide chain release factor 1 (RF1) from Thermotoga maritima (gi 4981173) at 2.65 Angstrom resolution by selenomethionine single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) techniques. RF1 is a protein that recognizes stop codons and promotes the release of a nascent polypeptide from tRNA on the ribosome. Selenomethionine-labeled RF1 crystallized in space group P2(1) with three monomers per asymmetric unit. It has approximate dimensions of 75 Angstrom x 70 Angstrom x 45 Angstrom and is composed of four domains. The overall fold of each RF1 domain shows almost the same topology with Escherichia coli RF2, except that the RF1 N-terminal domain is shorter and the C-terminal domain is longer than that of RF2. The N-terminal domain of RF1 indicates a rigid-body movement relative to that of RF2 with an angle of approximately 90 degrees. Including these features, RF1 has a tripeptide anticodon PVT motif instead of the SPF motif of RF2, which confers the specificity towards the stop codons. The analyses of three molecules in the asymmetric unit and comparison with RF2 revealed the presence of dynamic movement of domains I and III, which are anchored to the central domain by hinge loops. The crystal structure of RF1 elucidates the intrinsic property of this family of having large domain movements for proper function with the ribosome.

The ribosome: lifting the veil from a fascinating organelle

It was first suggested that the ribosome is associated with protein synthesis in the 1950s. Initially, its components were revealed as surface-accessible proteins and as molecules of RNA apparently providing a scaffold for subunit shape. Attributing function to the proteins proved difficult, although bacterial protein L11 proved essential for binding one of the decoding protein release factors (RFs). With the discovery that RNA could be a catalyst, interest focussed on the rRNA that, in partnership with mRNA and tRNAs, could potentially mediate the chemical reaction underlying protein synthesis. rRNA interactions and conformational changes were invoked as key elements that facilitated function. The decoding RFs, which are proteins, are exceptions to this rule because they usurp a tRNA function in mediating stop signal recognition. Cryoelectron microscopy and associated image reconstruction technology have now given dramatic snapshots of almost every step of protein synthesis, and X-ray crystallography has revealed, at last, the subunits and monomeric ribosome in exquisite atomic detail.

The active site of the ribosome is composed of two layers of conserved nucleotides with distinct roles in peptide bond formation and peptide release

Peptide bond formation and peptide release are catalyzed in the active site of the large subunit of the ribosome where universally conserved nucleotides surround the CCA ends of the peptidyl- and aminoacyl-tRNA substrates. Here, we describe the use of an affinity-tagging system for the purification of mutant ribosomes and analysis of four universally conserved nucleotides in the innermost layer of the active site: A2451, U2506, U2585, and A2602. While pre-steady-state kinetic analysis of the peptidyl transferase activity of the mutant ribosomes reveals substantially reduced rates of peptide bond formation using the minimal substrate puromycin, their rates of peptide bond formation are unaffected when the substrates are intact aminoacyl-tRNAs. These mutant ribosomes do, however, display substantial defects in peptide release. These results reveal a view of the catalytic center in which an inner shell of conserved nucleotides is pivotal for peptide release, while an outer shell is responsible for promoting peptide bond formation.

The Molecular Mechanics of Eukaryotic Translation

Great advances have been made in the past three decades in understanding the molecular mechanics underlying protein synthesis in bacteria, but our understanding of the corresponding events in eukaryotic organisms is only beginning to catch up. In this review we describe the current state of our knowledge and ignorance of the molecular mechanics underlying eukaryotic translation. We discuss the mechanisms conserved across the three kingdoms of life as well as the important divergences that have taken place in the pathway.

The ribosomal A site-bound sense and stop codons are similarly positioned towards the A1823-A1824 dinucleotide of the 18S ribosomal RNA

Positioning of the mRNA codon towards the 18S ribosomal RNA in the A site of human 80S ribosomes has been studied applying short mRNA analogs containing either the stop codon UAA or the sense codon UCA with a perfluoroaryl azide group at the uridine residue. Bound to the ribosomal A site, a modified codon crosslinks exclusively to the 40S subunits under mild UV irradiation. This result is inconsistent with the hypothesis [Ivanov et al. (2001) RNA 7, 1683-1692] which requires direct contact between the large rRNA and the stop codon of the mRNA as recognition step at translation termination. Both sense and stop codons crosslink to the same A1823/A1824 invariant dinucleotide in helix 44 of 18S rRNA. The data point to the resemblance between the ternary complexes formed at elongation (sense codon.aminoacyl-tRNA.AA dinucleotide of 18S rRNA) and termination (stop codon.eRF1.AA dinucleotide of 18S rRNA) steps of protein synthesis and support the view that eRF1 may be considered as a functional mimic of aminoacyl-tRNA.

Viable nonsense mutants for the essential gene SUP45 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

BACKGROUND

Termination of protein synthesis in eukaryotes involves at least two polypeptide release factors (eRFs) - eRF1 and eRF3. The highly conserved translation termination factor eRF1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is encoded by the essential gene SUP45.

RESULTS

We have isolated five sup45-n (n from nonsense) mutations that cause nonsense substitutions in the following amino acid positions of eRF1: Y53 --> UAA, E266 --> UAA, L283 --> UAA, L317 --> UGA, E385 --> UAA. We found that full-length eRF1 protein is present in all mutants, although in decreased amounts. All mutations are situated in a weak termination context. All these sup45-n mutations are viable in different genetic backgrounds, however their viability increases after growth in the absence of wild-type allele. Any of sup45-n mutations result in temperature sensitivity (37 degrees C). Most of the sup45-n mutations lead to decreased spore viability and spores bearing sup45-n mutations are characterized by limited budding after germination leading to formation of microcolonies of 4-20 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Nonsense mutations in the essential gene SUP45 can be isolated in the absence of tRNA nonsense suppressors.