title: NMR structure of the Aquifex aeolicus tmRNA pseudoknot PK1: new insights into the recoding event of the ribosomal trans-translation.
abstract: The transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) pseudoknot PK1 is essential for bacterial trans-translation, a ribosomal rescue mechanism. We report the solution structure of PK1 from Aquifex aeolicus, which despite an unprecedented small number of nucleotides and thus an unprecented compact size, displays a very high thermal stability. Several unusual structural features account for these properties and indicate that PK1 belongs to the class of ribosomal frameshift pseudoknots. This suggests a similarity between the mechanism of programmed ribosomal frameshifting and trans-translation.
authors.affiliation: Université Descartes Paris V-Faculté de Pharmacie, Laboratoire de Cristallographie et RMN Biologiques, CNRS UMR 8015, 4, av. de l'Observatoire-75006 Paris, France. sylvie.nonin@univ-paris5.fr
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nonin-Lecomte
authors.forename: Brice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Felden
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dardel
mesh_terms: D018965:Frameshifting, Ribosomal; D008958:Models, Molecular; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D020871:RNA Stability; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry*; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C096222:tmRNA; D012343:RNA, Transfer