Stringent Nucleotide Recognition by the Ribosome at the Middle Codon Position

Wei Liu; Dongwon Shin; Martin Ng; Karissa Y. Sanbonmatsu; Yitzhak Tor; Barry S. Cooperman

doi:10.3390/molecules22091427

Molecules (Aug 2017)

Stringent Nucleotide Recognition by the Ribosome at the Middle Codon Position

Wei Liu,
Dongwon Shin,
Martin Ng,
Karissa Y. Sanbonmatsu,
Yitzhak Tor,
Barry S. Cooperman

Affiliations

Wei Liu: Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Dongwon Shin: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Martin Ng: Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Karissa Y. Sanbonmatsu: Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
Yitzhak Tor: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Barry S. Cooperman: Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22091427
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 22, no. 9
p. 1427

Abstract

Read online

Accurate translation of the genetic code depends on mRNA:tRNA codon:anticodon base pairing. Here we exploit an emissive, isosteric adenosine surrogate that allows direct measurement of the kinetics of codon:anticodon University of California base formation during protein synthesis. Our results suggest that codon:anticodon base pairing is subject to tighter constraints at the middle position than at the 5′- and 3′-positions, and further suggest a sequential mechanism of formation of the three base pairs in the codon:anticodon helix.

Published in Molecules

ISSN: 1420-3049 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry: Organic chemistry
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords