Making the jump: new insights into the mechanism of trans-translation.
The transfer-messenger ribonucleoprotein (tmRNP), which is composed of RNA and a small protein, small protein B (SmpB), recycles ribosomes that are stalled on broken mRNAs lacking stop codons and tags the partially translated proteins for degradation. Although it is not yet understood how the ribosome gets from the 3' end of the truncated message onto the messenger portion of the tmRNA to add the tag, a recent study in BMC Biology has shed some light on this astonishing feat.
Wower
Jacek
J
Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. zwieb@uthct.edu
Wower
Iwona K
IK
Zwieb
Christian
C
D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013698:Templates, Genetic
D012329:RNA, Bacterial; C096222:tmRNA