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

Protein synthesis by single ribosomes.

Francesco Vanzi1, Serguei Vladimirov, Charlotte R Knudsen

  • 1Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6083, USA.

RNA (New York, N.Y.)
|September 18, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Ribosomes synthesize proteins by translating mRNA. This study shows surface-adsorbed ribosomes can synthesize polypeptides, enabling biophysical studies of protein biosynthesis.

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

Nanometer-scale RNA protein clusters (RPCs) Foster Helicase Activity of DEAD-box eIF4A.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

A myosin hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutation disrupts the super-relaxed state and boosts contractility by enhanced actin attachment.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Dynamics and structural features of the eEF1A1 and eEF1A2 paralogs.

Nucleic acids research·2025
Same author

Near-cognate tRNAs enhance tRNA rejection and prime the ribosome for rapid subsequent tRNA testing.

Biophysical journal·2025
Same author

S2Tag, a novel affinity tag for the capture and immobilization of coiled-coil proteins: Application to the study of human β-cardiac myosin.

The Journal of biological chemistry·2025
Same author

S2Tag, a novel affinity tag for the capture and immobilization of coiled-coil proteins: application to the study of human β-cardiac myosin.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Ribosomes are essential molecular machines responsible for protein synthesis.
  • They translate messenger RNA (mRNA) into amino acid sequences.
  • Ribosomes function as supramolecular motors during the elongation cycle.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate that surface-adsorbed ribosomes retain their polypeptide synthesis capability.
  • To establish a method for studying individual ribosome activity using biophysical techniques.
  • To enable the application of motor protein biophysical methods to protein biosynthesis.

Main Methods:

  • Adsorbing ribosomes onto a surface for mechanical or spectroscopic analysis.
  • Utilizing tethered particle analysis with fluorescent beads linked to ribosomes via polyuridylic acid.
  • Estimating the rate of polyphenylalanine synthesis by individual ribosomes.

Main Results:

  • Surface-adsorbed ribosomes are capable of polypeptide synthesis.
  • Tethered particle analysis can successfully monitor ribosome activity.
  • The rate of polyphenylalanine synthesis by individual ribosomes can be quantified.

Conclusions:

  • Surface immobilization does not abolish ribosome function.
  • Biophysical techniques, like tethered particle analysis, are applicable to studying ribosome dynamics.
  • This approach facilitates a deeper understanding of protein biosynthesis mechanisms.

Related Experiment Videos