Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Does codon composition influence ribosome function?

S G Andersson, R H Buckingham, C G Kurland

    The EMBO Journal
    |January 1, 1984
    PubMed
    Summary

    Escherichia coli ribosomes elongate poly(U-G) at rates similar to poly(Phe) synthesis, indicating codon composition doesn't affect elongation speed. Ribosome performance is independent of codon GC content, challenging existing models.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Molecular interactions of ribosomal components. IV: Cooperative interactions during assembly in vitro.

    Molecular biology reports·2013
    Same author

    The origins of modern proteomes.

    Biochimie·2007
    Same author

    Genomics and the irreducible nature of eukaryote cells.

    Science (New York, N.Y.)·2006
    Same author

    Horizontal gene transfer: a critical view.

    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2003
    Same author

    Evolution of microbial genomes: sequence acquisition and loss.

    Molecular biology and evolution·2002
    Same author

    The global phylogeny of glycolytic enzymes.

    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2002

    Area of Science:

    • Molecular Biology
    • Biochemistry
    • Genetics

    Background:

    • Ribosome function and elongation rates are crucial for protein synthesis.
    • Codon composition and GC content have been hypothesized to influence ribosome performance.
    • Understanding these factors is key to explaining gene family codon preferences.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the effect of codon composition on the in vitro elongation rate of Escherichia coli ribosomes.
    • To compare the missense frequencies during elongation on different synthetic polynucleotides.
    • To evaluate models linking codon GC content to ribosome performance characteristics.

    Main Methods:

    • In vitro translation assays using Escherichia coli ribosomes.
    • Pre-initiation with N-acetyl-Val-tRNAVal on strictly alternating poly(U-G).
    • Comparison with poly(U)-primed poly(Phe) synthesis.

    Main Results:

    • Ribosomes elongated poly(U-G) at 8-12 peptide bonds/sec/ribosome, similar to poly(Phe) synthesis.
    • Elongation rates were comparable in vitro and close to in vivo rates.
    • Missense frequencies for poly(U-G) were within the same range as for poly(U), with specific substitutions noted.
    • Codon composition did not significantly influence elongation speed under saturating conditions.

    Conclusions:

    • Codon composition has no marked influence on ribosomal elongation speed in vitro at saturating ternary complex concentrations.
    • Ribosome performance characteristics are not significantly affected by the GC content of codons.
    • The findings challenge models that attribute codon preference in gene families to GC content-driven ribosome performance variations.

    Related Experiment Videos