Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

After the ribosome structures: how does peptidyl transferase work?

Peter B Moore1, Thomas A Steitz

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University, 350 Edwards Street, New Haven, CT 06520-8107, USA. peter.moore@yale.edu

RNA (New York, N.Y.)
|January 30, 2003
PubMed
Summary

The ribosome

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

On the response of elongating ribosomes to forces opposing translocation.

Biophysical journal·2024
Same author

The impact of metabolism on the adaptation of organisms to environmental change.

Frontiers in cell and developmental biology·2023
Same author

The protein-folding problem: Not yet solved.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2022
Same author

Identification of Mg<sup>2+</sup> ions next to nucleotides in cryo-EM maps using electrostatic potential maps.

Acta crystallographica. Section D, Structural biology·2021
Same author

The PDB and the ribosome.

The Journal of biological chemistry·2021
Same author

Neocles B. Leontis (1955 - 2020).

RNA (New York, N.Y.)·2021

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • The ribosome is a complex molecular machine responsible for protein synthesis.
  • The peptidyl transferase center (PTC) within the ribosome catalyzes peptide bond formation.
  • Recent structural data has provided insights into the PTC's composition and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the structural basis of the ribosome's peptidyl transferase activity.
  • To investigate the role of RNA in catalysis within the PTC.
  • To explore factors contributing to the catalytic power of the ribosome.

Main Methods:

  • Atomic resolution crystal structure determination of the ribosome's large subunit.
  • Analysis of tRNA alignment within the peptidyl transferase center.
  • Comparative structural analysis of intact ribosomes and isolated subunits.

Main Results:

  • Atomic structures confirm the peptidyl transferase center is composed entirely of RNA, identifying the ribosome as a ribozyme.
  • Optimal alignment of CCA ends of peptidyl and aminoacyl tRNAs in the PTC significantly enhances catalytic efficiency.
  • Key questions remain regarding chemical catalysis by PTC components and functional differences between intact and isolated ribosomes.

Conclusions:

  • The ribosome's catalytic core is RNA-based, functioning as a ribozyme.
  • Precise positioning of substrates is crucial for efficient peptide bond formation.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of ribosomal catalysis and potential roles of other components.

Related Experiment Videos