title: The conformation of nascent polylysine and polyphenylalanine peptides on ribosomes.
abstract: Polypeptide synthesis using either phenylalanine or lysine was initiated on Escherichia coli ribosomes; then the position and conformation of the nascent peptide were monitored by fluorescence techniques. To this end, fluorophores had been attached to the amino terminus of each nascent peptide, and major differences were observed as chain extension occurred. Polyphenylalanine appeared to build up as a hydrophobic mass adjacent to the peptidyl transferase center while polylysine apparently was extended directly from the ribosome into the surrounding solution. An explanation for these differences may be provided by the physical and chemical properties of each polypeptide. These properties may be responsible for the route by which each peptide exits the peptidyl transferase center as demonstrated by the different sensitivity of each to inhibition by erythromycin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas, Austin 78712.
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Picking
authors.forename: O W
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Odom
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsalkova
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Serdyuk
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hardesty
mesh_terms: D004151:Dipeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010452:Peptide Biosynthesis; D010442:Peptide Chain Initiation, Translational; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D011107:Polylysine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011691:Puromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010455:Peptides; D011107:Polylysine; C012001:polyphenylalanine; D011691:Puromycin; D004917:Erythromycin