title: In vitro studies of archaeal translational initiation.
abstract: Initiation is the step of translation that has incurred the greatest evolutionary divergence. In silico and experimental studies have shown that archaeal translation initiation resembles neither the bacterial nor the eukaryotic paradigm, but shares features with both. The structure of mRNA in archaea is similar to the bacterial one, although the protein factors that assist translational initiation are more numerous than in bacteria and are homologous to eukaryotic proteins. This chapter describes a number of techniques that can be used for in vitro studies of archaeal translation and translational initiation, using as a model system the thermophilic crenarcheon Sulfolobus solfataricus, growing optimally at about 80 degrees in an acidic environment.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biotecnologie Cellulari ed Ematologia, Università di Roma Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Benelli
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Londei
mesh_terms: D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008715:Methionine / Q000378:metabolism; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D019642:RNA, Archaeal / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D012358:RNA, Transfer, Met / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D048229:Sulfolobus solfataricus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors; D019642:RNA, Archaeal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012358:RNA, Transfer, Met; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012343:RNA, Transfer; D008715:Methionine