Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Dual DNA Rulers to Study the Mechanism of Ribosome Translocation with Single-Nucleotide Resolution
10:27

Dual DNA Rulers to Study the Mechanism of Ribosome Translocation with Single-Nucleotide Resolution

Published on: July 8, 2019

Messenger RNA interactions in the decoding center control the rate of translocation

Prashant K Khade1, Simpson Joseph

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
|October 25, 2011
PubMed

Insights

The ribosome

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Protein synthesis involves the ribosome moving along messenger RNA (mRNA).
  • Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) deliver amino acids during this process.
  • The exact rate-limiting step in ribosome translocation is currently unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the rate-limiting molecular event in ribosome translocation.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of mRNA and tRNA movement during protein synthesis.

Main Methods:

  • Investigating the effect of disrupting A-site codon-ribosome interactions.
  • Measuring the impact of these disruptions on the rate of translocation.

Main Results:

  • Disrupting the interaction between the A-site codon and the ribosome significantly accelerates translocation.
  • This suggests that the release of mRNA from the ribosome's decoding center is a key bottleneck.

Conclusions:

  • The release of mRNA from the ribosome's decoding center is the rate-limiting step in translocation.
  • This finding provides crucial insights into the molecular mechanism governing protein synthesis.

More Related Videos

Optical Tweezers to Study RNA-Protein Interactions in Translation Regulation12:26

Optical Tweezers to Study RNA-Protein Interactions in Translation Regulation

Published on: February 12, 2022

Analysis of mRNA Nuclear Export Kinetics in Mammalian Cells by Microinjection11:32

Analysis of mRNA Nuclear Export Kinetics in Mammalian Cells by Microinjection

Published on: December 4, 2010

Related Concept Videos

Regulated mRNA Transport02:22

Regulated mRNA Transport

In eukaryotes, transcription and translation are compartmentalized; an mRNA is first synthesized in the nucleus and then selectively transported to the cytoplasm for protein synthesis. Before transport, a pre-mRNA undergoes several steps of post-transcriptional modifications including splicing, 5' capping, and the addition of a poly-adenine tail. Various proteins bind to the pre-mRNA during these modifications. The mRNA transport takes place with the help of multiple proteins playing specific...
Regulated mRNA Transport02:22

Regulated mRNA Transport

In eukaryotes, transcription and translation are compartmentalized; an mRNA is first synthesized in the nucleus and then selectively transported to the cytoplasm for protein synthesis. Before transport, a pre-mRNA undergoes several steps of post-transcriptional modifications including splicing, 5' capping, and the addition of a poly-adenine tail. Various proteins bind to the pre-mRNA during these modifications. The mRNA transport takes place with the help of multiple proteins playing specific...
Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing02:41

Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing

In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
The chromatin structure, especially...
Nonsense-mediated mRNA Decay02:27

Nonsense-mediated mRNA Decay

The Upf proteins that carry out nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) are found in all eukaryotic organisms, including humans. Each protein has an individual role, but they need to work in collaboration. Upf1 is an ATP-dependent RNA helicase that unwinds the RNA helix. Because Upf1 can unwind any RNA, Upf2 and Upf3 are required to help Upf1 discriminate between nonsense and normal mRNAs.
Usually, Upf3 binds to an Exon Junction Complex (EJC) at mRNA splice sites. If a ribosome fully translates the mRNA,...
Nonsense-mediated mRNA Decay02:27

Nonsense-mediated mRNA Decay

The Upf proteins that carry out nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) are found in all eukaryotic organisms, including humans. Each protein has an individual role, but they need to work in collaboration. Upf1 is an ATP-dependent RNA helicase that unwinds the RNA helix. Because Upf1 can unwind any RNA, Upf2 and Upf3 are required to help Upf1 discriminate between nonsense and normal mRNAs.
Usually, Upf3 binds to an Exon Junction Complex (EJC) at mRNA splice sites. If a ribosome fully translates the mRNA,...
Nucleic Acid Structure01:25

Nucleic Acid Structure

The pentose sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, while in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose. The difference between the sugars is the presence of the hydroxyl group on the ribose's second carbon and a hydrogen on the deoxyribose's second carbon. The phosphate residue attaches to the hydroxyl group of the 5′ carbon of one sugar and the hydroxyl group of the 3′ carbon of the sugar of the next nucleotide, which forms  a 5′ to 3′ phosphodiester linkage.
DNA Structure
DNA has a double-helix structure. The...