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Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Global Identification of Co-Translational Interaction Networks by Selective Ribosome Profiling
Published on: October 7, 2021
Dynamics of co-translational protein targeting
Margaret M Elvekrog1, Peter Walter1
1The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
None:
Most membrane and secretory proteins are delivered co-translationally to protein translocation channels in their destination membrane by the signal recognition particle (SRP) and its receptor. This co-translational molecular machinery is conserved across all kingdoms of life, though it varies in composition and function. Here we report recent progress towards understanding the mechanism of SRP function, focusing on findings about Escherichia coli SRP's conformational dynamics throughout the targeting process. These insights shed light on a key checkpoint in the targeting cycle: how SRP regulates engagement of an actively translating ribosome with the translocation machinery at the membrane.
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