[Protein synthesis by the ribosome: a pathway full of pitfalls]

Protein synthesis is accomplished through a process known as translation and is carried out by the ribosome, a large macromolecular complex found in every living organism. Given the huge amount of biological data that must be deciphered, it is not uncommon for ribosomes to regularly stall during the process of translation. Any disruption of this finely tuned process will jeopardize the viability of the cell. In bacteria, the main quality-control mechanism for rescuing ribosomes that undergo arrest during translation is trans-translation, which is performed by transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) in association with small protein B (SmPB). However, other rescue systems have been discovered recently, revealing a far more complicated network of factors dedicated to ribosome rescue. These discoveries make it possible to consider inhibition of these pathways as a very promising target for the discovery of new antibiotics.