Proteins, ribosomal

Despite the unity in secondary structural patterns, little is known about the three-dimensional, or tertiary, structure of rRNAs. Even less is known about the quaternary interactions that occur when ribosomal proteins combine with rRNAs and when the ensuing ribonucleoprotein complexes, the small and large subunits, come together to form the complete ribosome. Furthermore, assignments of functional roles to rRNA molecules are still tentative and approximate. (We return to these topics in Chapter 33.)... 

Lactam Antibiotics Ribosomal Protein Synthesis Inhibitors... 

Ribosomal Protein Synthesis Inhibitors. Figure 3 The chemical structure of tetracycline and possible interactions with 16S rRNA in the primary binding site. Arrows with numbers indicate distances (in A) between functional groups. There are no interactions obseived between the upper portion of the molecule and 16S rRNA consistent with data that these positions can be modified without affecting inhibitory action (from Brodersen et al. [4] with copynght permission). 

Ribosomal Protein Synthesis Inhibitors. Figure 4 The binding site of pactamycin on the 30S subunit. The positions of mRNA, the RNA elements H28, H23b, H24a, and the C-terminus of protein S7 are depicted in the E-site of the native 30S structure (left) and in the 30S-pactamycin complex (right). In the complex with pactamycin, the position of mRNA is altered (from Brodersen etal. [4] with copyright permission). 

Ribosomal Protein Synthesis Inhibitors. Figure 5 Nucleotides at the binding sites of chloramphenicol, erythromycin and clindamycin at the peptidyl transferase center. The nucleotides that are within 4.4 A of the antibiotics chloramphenicol, erythromycin and clindamycin in 50S-antibiotic complexes are indicated with the letters C, E, and L, respectively, on the secondary structure of the peptidyl transferase loop region of 23S rRNA (the sequence shown is that of E. coll). The sites of drug resistance in one or more peptidyl transferase antibiotics due to base changes (solid circles) and lack of modification (solid square) are indicated. Nucleotides that display altered chemical reactivity in the presence of one or more peptidyl transferase antibiotics are boxed. 

S6K1 (also known as p70S6 kinase) is a serine/ threonine protein kinase which is involved in the regulation of translation by phosphorylating the 40S ribosomal protein S6. Insulin and several growth factors activate the kinase by phosphorylation in a PI 3-kinase dependent and rapamycin-sensitive manner. Phosphorylation of S6 protein leads to the translation of mRNA with a characteristic 5 polypyrimidine sequence motif. 

ACTH, adrenocorticotrophic hormone Met, methionine Met(O), methionine sulfoxide DTT, dithiothreitol L7, L12, Escherichia coli ribosomal proteins Met(0)-L12, L12 containing Met(O) residues a-l-PI, a-1-proteinase inhibitor Met(0)-a-l-PI, a-l-PI... 

In recent years a number of in vitro studies have shown that the presence of Met(O) residues in a wide variety of proteins causes loss of biological activity. Table 2 lists some proteins which have been demonstrated to lose activity when specific Met residues are oxidized in vitro. Two of these proteins, E. coli ribosomal protein LI 2 and mammalian a-1-PI, have been studied extensively and will be discussed in detail. 

Ribosomal protein L12 was oxidized with 0.3 M H202 at 30°C for 1 h. After dialysis, the protein was incubated in the presence of 0.8 M 2-mercaptoethanol for 48 min at 37 °C and dialyzed. The amount of methionine residues was quantitated by exhaustive alkylation of the protein with [14C]iodoacetic acid. 

Ribosomal protein L12 was oxidized with N-chlorosuccinimide as described by Schechter and coworkers28 and dialyzed. The complete system contained 33 mM Tris-HCI (pH 7.4), 13mM MgCI2,275 pmol Met(0)-L12,13mM dithiothreitol (or 2-mercaptoethanol where indicated), and enzyme. See the legend to Figure 5 for further details of the assay. 

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