An hypothesis for explaining the mechanism of translocation in peptide chain synthesis.
A mechanism is proposed for mRNA translocation during peptide chain synthesis, which involves a reciprocal rotation of the two ribosomal components on each other in such a way as to propel the mRNA along a string of ribosomes on an endoplasmic reticulum membrane or to propel a single ribosome along an mRNA molecule in a membrane-free system. Release of tRNA's is assumed to occur from only one of the two ribosomal components at a time, so that there is no danger of loss of the tRNA's during peptide chain synthesis. The mechanism would make the ribosome an active, dynamic structure in addition to being a platform with catalytic activity which holds the components of peptide chain synthesis in juxtaposition.
D000596:Amino Acids; D001665:Binding Sites; D010452:Peptide Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000378:metabolism; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000378:metabolism
D000596:Amino Acids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012343:RNA, Transfer