title: The ribosomal tunnel as a functional environment for nascent polypeptide folding and translational stalling.
abstract: As the nascent polypeptide chain is being synthesized, it passes through a tunnel within the large ribosomal subunit and emerges at the solvent side where protein folding occurs. Despite the universality and conservation of dimensions of the ribosomal tunnel, a functional role for the ribosomal tunnel is only beginning to emerge: Rather than a passive conduit for the nascent chain, accumulating evidence indicates that the tunnel plays a more active role. In this article, we discuss recent structural insights into the role of the tunnel environment, and its implications for protein folding, co-translational targeting and translation regulation.
authors.affiliation: Gene Center and Department of Biochemistry, Munich (CiPSM), Feodor-Lynenstr. 25, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beckmann
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008958:Models, Molecular; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017510:Protein Folding; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides