Vila-Sanjurjo A, Schuwirth BS, Hau CW, Cate JHD. Structural basis for the control of translation initiation during stress.
Nat Struct Mol Biol 2004;
11:1054-9. [PMID:
15502846 DOI:
10.1038/nsmb850]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2004] [Accepted: 09/28/2004] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
During environmental stress, organisms limit protein synthesis by storing inactive ribosomes that are rapidly reactivated when conditions improve. Here we present structural and biochemical data showing that protein Y, an Escherichia coli stress protein, fills the tRNA- and mRNA-binding channel of the small ribosomal subunit to stabilize intact ribosomes. Protein Y inhibits translation initiation during cold shock but not at normal temperatures. Furthermore, protein Y competes with conserved translation initiation factors that, in bacteria, are required for ribosomal subunit dissociation. The mechanism used by protein Y to reduce translation initiation during stress and quickly release ribosomes for renewed translation initiation may therefore occur widely in nature.
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