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Updated: May 29, 2026

Single Molecule Fluorescence Energy Transfer Study of Ribosome Protein Synthesis
Published on: July 6, 2021
Site-specific fluorescent labeling of nascent proteins on the translating ribosome
Ishu Saraogi1, Dawei Zhang, Sandhya Chandrasekaran
1Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States.
Abstract:
As newly synthesized proteins emerge from the ribosome, they interact with a variety of cotranslational cellular machineries that facilitate their proper folding, maturation, and localization. These interactions are essential for proper function of the cell, and the ability to study these events is crucial to understanding cellular protein biogenesis. To this end, we have developed a highly efficient method to generate ribosome-nascent chain complexes (RNCs) site-specifically labeled with a fluorescent dye on the nascent polypeptide. The fluorescent RNC provides real-time, quantitative information on its cotranslational interaction with the signal recognition particle and will be a valuable tool in elucidating the role of the translating ribosome in numerous biochemical pathways.
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