title: The parable of the caveman and the Ferrari: protein synthesis and the RNA world.
abstract: The basic steps of protein synthesis are carried out by the ribosome, a very large and complex ribonucleoprotein particle. In keeping with its proposed emergence from an RNA world, all three of its core mechanisms-aminoacyl-tRNA selection, catalysis of peptide bond formation and coupled translocation of mRNA and tRNA-are embodied in the properties of ribosomal RNA, while its proteins play a supportive role.This article is part of the themed issue 'Perspectives on the ribosome'.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Biology of RNA, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA noller@biology.ucsc.edu.|Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
authors.forename: Harry F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Noller
mesh_terms: D000069497:Origin of Life; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D046249:Transfer RNA Aminoacylation; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D012313:RNA
keywords: RNA; protein synthesis; ribosome