title: Ribosomal protein structures: insights into the architecture, machinery and evolution of the ribosome.
abstract: Models of the bacterial ribosome based on recent structural analyses are beginning to provide new insights into the protein synthetic machinery. Central to evolving models are the high-resolution structures of individual ribosomal proteins, which represent detailed probes of their local RNA and protein environments. Ribosomal proteins are extremely ancient molecules; the structures therefore also provide a unique window into early protein evolution. Many of the proteins contain domains that are present in more recently evolved families of RNA- and DNA-binding proteins. Such structural homology can be used to predict mechanisms by which proteins interact with RNA in the ribosome.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramakrishnan
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D012269:Ribosomal Proteins