title: Insights into translational termination from the structure of RF2 bound to the ribosome.
abstract: The termination of protein synthesis occurs through the specific recognition of a stop codon in the A site of the ribosome by a release factor (RF), which then catalyzes the hydrolysis of the nascent protein chain from the P-site transfer RNA. Here we present, at a resolution of 3.5 angstroms, the crystal structure of RF2 in complex with its cognate UGA stop codon in the 70S ribosome. The structure provides insight into how RF2 specifically recognizes the stop codon; it also suggests a model for the role of a universally conserved GGQ motif in the catalysis of peptide release.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weixlbaumer
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Cajetan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neubauer
authors.forename: Rebecca M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Voorhees
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petry
authors.forename: Ann C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: Venki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramakrishnan
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D055162:Biocatalysis; D018388:Codon, Terminator / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010443:Peptide Chain Termination, Translational; D010454:Peptide Termination Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000378:metabolism; D054657:Ribosome Subunits / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016963:Thermus thermophilus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018388:Codon, Terminator; D010454:Peptide Termination Factors; D010455:Peptides; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; C041460:peptide chain termination release factor 2; D012343:RNA, Transfer