:.:::;j-.:::
.::.r,,i
The
70S
ribosome
consists
of the 505 sub-
unit
(white)
and the 305 subunit
(purpte)
with
three tRNAs
located superficiatly:
yettow
in the A
site, btue
in
the
P site,
and
green
in the E site. Photo
courtesy of Harry
No[ter,
University of Catifornia,
Santa Cruz.
i:r.iii.ir
r1..l'
:
f[1gg tRNAs have
different
orientations on
the ribosome. mRNA
turns between
the P and A sites to
a[[ow
aminoacyltRNAs
to bind adjacent
codons.
Photo
courtesy
of Harry No[[er,
University of CaUfornia.
Santa Cruz.
into
the A Site). EF-Tu
inirially
places
the
aminoacyl-IRNA
into the
small subunit, where
the
anticodon
pairs
with the
codon. Movement
of the
IRNA is required
to bring it fully
inro rhe
A
site, when its
3'end enters
the
peptidyl
trans-
ferase
center on the large
subunit. There
are
different
models
for how this
process
may
occur.
One calls
for the
entire 1RNA to
swivel, so that
the elbow
in the L-shaped
structure made
by
the D
and TYC
arms moves into
the ribosome,
enabling
the TYC
arm to
pair
with IRNA.
Protein
Svnthesis
Another calls for the internal structure
of the
IRNA to change, using the anticodon loop
as a
hinge, with the rest
of
the IRNA rotating from
a
position
in which it is stacked on the J'side
of the anticodon loop to
one
in
which it is
stacked on the 5'side. Following the
transition,
EF-Tu hydrolyzes
GTP,
allowing
peptide
syn-
thesis to
proceed.
Translocation involves large
movements in
the
positions
of the tRNAs within
the ribosome.
The
anticodon end of IRNA moves
-28
A from
the A site to the P site, and then
a further 20 A
from
the
P
site to the
E
site. As a result
of the
angle of each IRNA relative to the anticodon,
the
bulk of the IRNA moves much larger
distances:
40
A
from
A site to P site and 55 A from P
site
to E site. This
suggests
that
translocation requires
a major reorganization of structure.
For many
years,
it was
thought that translo-
cation
could occur only
in
the
presence
of
the
factor
EF-G. However, the antibiotic
spar-
somycin
(which
inhibits
the
peptidyl
transferase
activity) triggers translocation. This
suggests
that the energy
to drive translocation
actually
is
stored
in
the
ribosome
after
peptide
bond for-
mation
has occurred. Usually EF-G
acts on the
ribosome to release
this energy and enable it
to
drive translocation, but sparsomycin
can have
the
same
role.
Sparsomycin inhibits
peptidyl
transferase by binding to the
peptidyl-IRNA,
blocking its interaction with aminoacyl-IRNA.
It
probably
creates a conformation
that resem-
bles the usual
posttranslocation
conformation,
which
in
turn
promotes
movement
of the
pep-
tidyl-tRNA. The important
point
is that
translo-
cation is
an
intrinsic
property
of the ribosome.
The hybrid
states model
suggests that
translocation may take
place
in
two stages,
with one ribosomal
subunit moving relative
to the
other to create an intermediate
stage in
which there are hybrid tRNA-binding
sites
(50S
E/30S P
and 50SP/30S A)
(see
Figure
8.29).
Comparisons of the ribosome
structure
between
pre-
and
posttranslocation
states, and
comparisons in 165 rRNA
conformation
between free l0S
subunits and 70S ribosomes,
suggest that mobility of
structure is especially
marked in the head
and
platform
regions
of
the 30S subunit. An interesting
insight
on the
hybrid
states model is
cast by the fact
that many
bases in rRNA involved
in subunit
association
are close to bases involved in
interacting
with
IRNA. This
suggests that IRNA-binding
sites
are close to the interface
between
subunits,
and
carries the implication that
changes in
sub-
unit interaction
could be connected
with move-
ment of IRNA.
778
CHAPTER
8