Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
06:59
Nanomanipulation of Single RNA Molecules by Optical Tweezers
Published on: August 20, 2014
A mechanical explanation of RNA pseudoknot function in programmed ribosomal frameshifting
Olivier Namy1, Stephen J Moran, David I Stuart
1Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.
Nature
|May 12, 2006
Summary
Programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting, essential for viral replication, occurs when ribosomes shift reading frames. This study reveals how mRNA pseudoknots manipulate ribosome structure to induce frameshifting.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Structural Biology
- Virology
Background:
- Ribosomes translate mRNA into proteins using a triplet genetic code.
- Maintaining the correct reading frame is crucial for accurate protein synthesis.
- Programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting is a mechanism used by viruses and cells to alter protein products.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the structural mechanism by which mRNA pseudoknots induce -1 ribosomal frameshifting.
- To visualize the ribosome-mRNA pseudoknot complex during the frameshifting process.
Main Methods:
- Cryoelectron microscopy of purified mammalian 80S ribosomes stalled at a coronavirus pseudoknot.
- Structural analysis of the ribosome-mRNA pseudoknot complex.
Main Results:
- Observed a stalled ribosome-mRNA pseudoknot complex, an intermediate in -1 frameshifting.
- The pseudoknot blocks the mRNA entrance channel, hindering ribosome translocation.
- Identified a spring-like deformation of the P-site transfer RNA and interactions with ribosomal helicase and eEF2.
Conclusions:
- The pseudoknot's interaction with the ribosome mechanically induces a shift to a different reading frame.
- This structural insight explains how pseudoknots manipulate ribosomal frameshifting.
- Understanding this mechanism is vital for combating viral pathogens like HIV and coronaviruses.
Related Concept Videos
01:23RNA Structure
Overview
The basic structure of RNA consists of a five-carbon sugar and one of four nitrogenous bases. Although most RNA is single-stranded, it can form complex secondary and tertiary structures. Such structures play essential roles in the regulation of transcription and translation.
Different Types of RNA Have the Same Basic Structure
There are three main types of ribonucleic acid (RNA): messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). All three RNA types consist of a...
The basic structure of RNA consists of a five-carbon sugar and one of four nitrogenous bases. Although most RNA is single-stranded, it can form complex secondary and tertiary structures. Such structures play essential roles in the regulation of transcription and translation.
Different Types of RNA Have the Same Basic Structure
There are three main types of ribonucleic acid (RNA): messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). All three RNA types consist of a...
01:23Types of RNA
Overview
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
01:23RNA Structure
Overview
The basic structure of RNA consists of a five-carbon sugar and one of four nitrogenous bases. Although most RNA is single-stranded, it can form complex secondary and tertiary structures. Such structures play essential roles in the regulation of transcription and translation.
Different Types of RNA Have the Same Basic Structure
There are three main types of ribonucleic acid (RNA): messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). All three RNA types consist of a...
The basic structure of RNA consists of a five-carbon sugar and one of four nitrogenous bases. Although most RNA is single-stranded, it can form complex secondary and tertiary structures. Such structures play essential roles in the regulation of transcription and translation.
Different Types of RNA Have the Same Basic Structure
There are three main types of ribonucleic acid (RNA): messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). All three RNA types consist of a...
01:19RNA Structure
The basic structure of RNA consists of a string of ribonucleotides attached by phosphodiester bonds. Although most RNA is single-stranded, it can form complex secondary and tertiary structures. Such structures play essential roles in the regulation of transcription and translation.
Different Types of RNA Have the Same Basic Structure
There are three main types of ribonucleic acid (RNA) involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). All three...
Different Types of RNA Have the Same Basic Structure
There are three main types of ribonucleic acid (RNA) involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). All three...
01:20Types of RNA
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in regulating gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA Performs Diverse...
RNA Performs Diverse...
01:23Transcriptional Regulation: Riboswitches
Riboswitches are RNA elements that regulate gene expression by altering their secondary structures in response to specific effector molecules. These elements, located in the leader regions of certain mRNAs, act as transcriptional regulators by toggling between alternative conformations to control downstream gene expression. Riboswitch-mediated regulation is a precise mechanism for modulating biosynthetic pathways, as exemplified by the riboflavin biosynthesis pathway in Bacillus...