Molecular mimicry between protein and tRNA.
Mimicry is a sophisticated development in animals, fish, and plants that allows them to fool others by imitating a shape or color for diverse purposes, such as to prey, evade, lure, pollinate, or threaten. This is not restricted to the macro-world, but extends to the micro-world as molecular mimicry. Recent advances in structural and molecular biology uncovered a set of translation factors that resembles a tRNA shape and, in one case, even mimics a tRNA function for deciphering the genetic code. Nature must have evolved this art of molecular mimicry between protein and ribonucleic acid by using different protein structures until the translation factors sat in the cockpit of a ribosome machine, on behalf of tRNA, and achieved diverse actions. Structural, functional, and evolutionary aspects of molecular mimicry will be discussed.
Nakamura
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Department of Basic Medical Sciences, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan. nak@ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp
D000818:Animals; D000926:Anticodon / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D020653:Peptide Elongation Factor G / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D010454:Peptide Termination Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
D000926:Anticodon; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C489002:ETF1 protein, human; D020653:Peptide Elongation Factor G; D010454:Peptide Termination Factors; D011506:Proteins; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C087971:peptide-chain-release factor 3; C087267:ribosome releasing factor; D012343:RNA, Transfer