Functional mechanics of the ribosome

PHYS 8

RL. Jernigan, jernigan@iastate.edu, LH Baker Center for Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics, Iowa State University, 112 Office and Lab Bldg, Ames, IA 50011-3020, Ozge Kurkcuoglu, Department of Chemical Engineering and Polymer Research Center, Bogazici University, Bebek, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey, Yongmei Wang, ywang@memphis.edu, Department of Chemistry, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, and Pemra Doruker, doruker@boun.edu.tr, Department of Chemical Engineering, Bogazici University and Polymer Research Center, Bebek, 80815 Istanbul, Turkey.
Elastic network models are providing strong evidence that proteins control their functions by their slow, domain motions. The ribosome is a case where the evidence is already clear that its motions relate simultaneously to many aspects of its function. Already we have seen that the large ratchet motion simultaneously causes the t-RNAs and mRNA to translate in the processing direction. The control of the mRNA at the anti-codon binding site is extremely strong, presumably to assure fidelity of copying, with the mRNA at that site translating as a fully rigid body, with no internal motions. Recently we have observed the simultaneous rotation of the lining of the passages around the mRNA. This would likely twist the mRNA, followed by its release, which would permit it to untwist and extend. Its spring-like release could be controlled to assure its forward motion by exactly three bases.
 

Structural Determination, Refinement, and Modeling of Large Biomolecular Complexes
8:00 AM-12:00 PM, Sunday, August 19, 2007 BCEC -- 157C, Oral

Division of Physical Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007