Structures of the Intact Bacterial Ribosome at Atomic Resolution

Jamie Cate, UC Berkeley

We are using x-ray crystallography to probe the structural basis for the many aspects of protein biosynthesis that require the intact ribosome. Our goal is to make an atomic-resolution ãmovieä of a ribosome in the process of making a protein. We have obtained crystals of the entire E. coli ribosome that diffract x-rays to a resolution of 3.1-3.2 �. We have refined the first ribosome structural models at a resolution of 3.5 �. These models reveal possible mechanisms for mRNA and tRNA translocation and the nature of the ribosomal subunit interface. Moreover, we are using these crystals to probe in atomic detail the effects of antibiotics on the full ribosome and mutations in the ribosome that lead to antibiotic resistance or perturb key steps in translation.

Support: NIH, DOE.

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