Mechanism of Translation Termination Revealed
Protein biosynthesis by the ribosome is one of the most important reactions in nature. The length of the polypeptide chain is strictly determined by the start and stop codons in mRNA. Translation termination is necessary for the timely completion of protein biosynthesis and the release of the polypeptide product from the ribosome. This process is regulated by specific proteins, the so-called "release factors", which recognize stop codons and mediate the hydrolysis of the ester bond in the peptidyl-tRNA molecule localized in the catalytic center of the ribosome. The new study shows the role of the release factor and the 2'-OH group of tRNA in the catalysis of polypeptide cleavage through the formation of a "bridged" cyclic intermediate. The work was published in the journal Science. Learn more
june 27