Structural Insights into ribosome recycling factor interactions with the 70S ribosome

At the end of translation in bacteria, ribosome recycling factor (RRF) is used together with elongation factor G to recycle the 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits for the next round of translation. In x-ray crystal structures of RRF with the Escherichia coli 70S ribosome, RRF binds to the large ribosomal subunit in the cleft that contains the peptidyl transferase center. Upon binding of either E. coli or Thermus thermophilus RRF to the E. coli ribosome, the tip of ribosomal RNA helix 69 in the large subunit moves away from the small subunit toward RRF by 8 Å, thereby disrupting a key contact between the small and large ribosomal subunits termed bridge B2a. In the ribosome crystals, the ability of RRF to destabilize bridge B2a is influenced by crystal packing forces. Movement of helix 69 involves an ordered-to-disordered transition upon binding of RRF to the ribosome. The disruption of bridge B2a upon RRF binding to the ribosome seen in the present structures reveals one of the key roles that RRF plays in ribosome recycling, the dissociation of 70S ribosomes into subunits. The structures also reveal contacts between domain II of RRF and protein S12 in the 30S subunit that may also play a role in ribosome recycling.     

Crystal structure of a mutant elongation factor G trapped with a GTP analogue

Elongation factor G (EF-G) is a G protein factor that catalyzes the translocation step in protein synthesis on the ribosome. Its GTP conformation in the absence of the ribosome is currently unknown. We present the structure of a mutant EF-G (T84A) in complex with the non-hydrolysable GTP analogue GDPNP. The crystal structure provides a first insight into conformational changes induced in EF-G by GTP. Comparison of this structure with that of EF-G in complex with GDP suggests that the GTP and GDP conformations in solution are very similar and that the major contribution to the active GTPase conformation, which is quite different, therefore comes from its interaction with the ribosome.     

Structure and function of FusB: an elongation factor G-binding fusidic acid resistance protein active in ribosomal translocation and recycling

Fusidic acid (FA) is a bacteriostatic antibiotic that locks elongation factor G (EF-G) to the ribosome after GTP hydrolysis during elongation and ribosome recycling. The plasmid pUB101-encoded protein FusB causes FA resistance in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus through an interaction with EF-G. Here, we report 1.6 and 2.3 Å crystal structures of FusB. We show that FusB is a two-domain protein lacking homology to known structures, where the N-terminal domain is a four-helix bundle and the C-terminal domain has an alpha/beta fold containing a C4 treble clef zinc finger motif and two loop regions with conserved basic residues. Using hybrid constructs between S. aureus EF-G that binds to FusB and Escherichia coli EF-G that does not, we show that the sequence determinants for FusB recognition reside in domain IV and involve the C-terminal helix of S. aureus EF-G. Further, using kinetic assays in a reconstituted translation system, we demonstrate that FusB can rescue FA inhibition of tRNA translocation as well as ribosome recycling. We propose that FusB rescues S. aureus from FA inhibition by preventing formation or facilitating dissociation of the FA-locked EF-G–ribosome complex.     

Steric Complementarity in the Decoding Center Is Important for tRNA Selection by the Ribosome

Accurate tRNA selection by the ribosome is essential for the synthesis of functional proteins. Previous structural studies indicated that the ribosome distinguishes between cognate and near-cognate tRNAs by monitoring the geometry of the codon–anticodon helix in the decoding center using the universally conserved 16S ribosomal RNA bases G530, A1492 and A1493. These bases form hydrogen bonds with the 2′-hydroxyl groups of the codon–anticodon helix, which are expected to be disrupted with a near-cognate codon–anticodon helix. However, a recent structural study showed that G530, A1492 and A1493 form hydrogen bonds in a manner identical with that of both cognate and near-cognate codon–anticodon helices. To understand how the ribosome discriminates between cognate and near-cognate tRNAs, we made 2′-deoxynucleotide and 2′-fluoro substituted mRNAs, which disrupt the hydrogen bonds between the A site codon and G530, A1492 and A1493. Our results show that multiple 2′-deoxynucleotide substitutions in the mRNA substantially inhibit tRNA selection, whereas multiple 2′-fluoro substitutions in the mRNA have only modest effects on tRNA selection. Furthermore, the miscoding antibiotics paromomycin and streptomycin rescue the defects in tRNA selection with the multiple 2′-deoxynucleotide substituted mRNA. These results suggest that steric complementarity in the decoding center is more important than the hydrogen bonds between the A site codon and G530, A1492 and A1493 for tRNA selection.     

The Identification of the Determinants of the Cyclic, Sequential Binding of Elongation Factors Tu and G to the Ribosome

Experiments dedicated to gaining an understanding of the mechanism underlying the orderly, sequential association of elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) and elongation factor G (EF-G) with the ribosome during protein synthesis were undertaken. The binding of one EF is always followed by the binding of the other, despite the two sharing the same—or a largely overlapping—site and despite the two having isosteric structures. Aminoacyl-tRNA, peptidyl-tRNA, and deacylated-tRNA were bound in various combinations to the A-site, P-site, or E-site of ribosomes, and their effect on conformation in the peptidyl transferase center, the GTPase-associated center, and the sarcin/ricin domain (SRD) was determined. In addition, the effect of the ribosome complexes on sensitivity to the ribotoxins sarcin and pokeweed antiviral protein and on the binding of EF-G•GTP were assessed. The results support the following conclusions: the EF-Tu ternary complex binds to the A-site whenever it is vacant and the P-site has peptidyl-tRNA; and association of the EF-Tu ternary complex is prevented, simply by steric hindrance, when the A-site is occupied by peptidyl-tRNA. On the other hand, the affinity of the ribosome for EF-G•GTP is increased when peptidyl-tRNA is in the A-site, and the increase is the result of a conformational change in the SRD. We propose that peptidyl-tRNA in the A-site is an effector that initiates a series of changes in tertiary interactions between nucleotides in the peptidyl transferase center, the SRD, and the GTPase-associated center of 23S rRNA; and that the signal, transmitted through a transduction pathway, informs the ribosome of the position of peptidyl-tRNA and leads to a conformational change in the SRD that favors binding of EF-G.     

Conformational changes in switch I of EF‐G drive its directional cycling on and off the ribosome

We have trapped elongation factor G (EF-G) from Escherichia coli in six, functionally defined states, representing intermediates in its unidirectional catalytic cycle, which couples GTP hydrolysis to tRNA–mRNA translocation in the ribosome. By probing EF-G with trypsin in each state, we identified a substantial conformational change involving its conserved switch I (sw1) element, which contacts the GTP substrate. By attaching FeBABE (a hydroxyl radical generating probe) to sw1, we could monitor sw1 movement (by ∼20 Å), relative to the 70S ribosome, during the EF-G cycle. In free EF-G, sw1 is disordered, particularly in GDP-bound and nucleotide-free states. On EF-G•GTP binding to the ribosome, sw1 becomes structured and tucked inside the ribosome, thereby locking GTP onto EF-G. After hydrolysis and translocation, sw1 flips out from the ribosome, greatly accelerating release of GDP and EF-G from the ribosome. Collectively, our results support a central role of sw1 in driving the EF-G cycle during protein synthesis.     

The ribosomal stalk binds to translation factors IF2, EF-Tu, EF-G and RF3 via a conserved region of the L12 C-terminal domain

Efficient protein synthesis in bacteria requires initiation factor 2 (IF2), elongation factors Tu (EF-Tu) and G (EF-G), and release factor 3 (RF3), each of which catalyzes a major step of translation in a GTP-dependent fashion. Previous reports have suggested that recruitment of factors to the ribosome and subsequent GTP hydrolysis involve the dimeric protein L12, which forms a flexible "stalk" on the ribosome. Using heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy we demonstrate that L12 binds directly to the factors IF2, EF-Tu, EF-G, and RF3 from Escherichia coli, and map the region of L12 involved in these interactions. Factor-dependent chemical shift changes show that all four factors bind to the same region of the C-terminal domain of L12. This region includes three strictly conserved residues, K70, L80, and E82, and a set of highly conserved residues, including V66, A67, V68 and G79. Upon factor binding, all NMR signals from the C-terminal domain become broadened beyond detection, while those from the N-terminal domain are virtually unaffected, implying that the C-terminal domain binds to the factor, while the N-terminal domain dimer retains its rotational freedom mediated by the flexible hinge between the two domains. Factor-dependent variations in linewidths further reveal that L12 binds to each factor with a dissociation constant in the millimolar range in solution. These results indicate that the L12-factor complexes will be highly populated on the ribosome, because of the high local concentration of ribosome-bound factor with respect to L12.     

Structural insights into fusidic acid resistance and sensitivity in EF-G

Fusidic acid (FA) is a steroid antibiotic commonly used against Gram positive bacterial infections. It inhibits protein synthesis by stalling elongation factor G (EF-G) on the ribosome after translocation. A significant number of the mutations conferring strong FA resistance have been mapped at the interfaces between domains G, III and V of EF-G. However, direct information on how such mutations affect the structure has hitherto not been available. Here we present the crystal structures of two mutants of Thermus thermophilus EF-G, G16V and T84A, which exhibit FA hypersensitivity and resistance in vitro, respectively. These mutants also have higher and lower affinity for GTP respectively than wild-type EF-G. The mutations cause significant conformational changes in the switch II loop that have opposite effects on the position of a key residue, Phe90, which undergoes large conformational changes. This correlates with the importance of Phe90 in FA sensitivity reported in previous studies. These structures substantiate the importance of the domain G/domain III/domain V interfaces as a key component of the FA binding site. The mutations also cause subtle changes in the environment of the "P-loop lysine", Lys25. This led us to examine the conformation of the equivalent residue in all structures of translational GTPases, which revealed that EF-G and eEF2 form a group separate from the others and suggested that the role of Lys25 may be different in the two groups.     

Structure of a Two-Domain N-Terminal Fragment of Ribosomal Protein L10 from Methanococcus jannaschii Reveals a Specific Piece of the Archaeal Ribosomal Stalk

Ribosomal stalk is involved in the formation of the so-called “GTPase-associated site” and plays a key role in the interaction of ribosome with translation factors and in the control of translation accuracy. The stalk is formed by two or three copies of the L7/L12 dimer bound to the C-terminal tail of protein L10. The N-terminal domain of L10 binds to a segment of domain II of 23S rRNA near the binding site for ribosomal protein L11. The structure of bacterial L10 in complex with three L7/L12 N-terminal dimers has been determined in the isolated state, and the structure of the first third of archaeal L10 bound to domain II of 23S rRNA has been solved within the Haloarcula marismortui 50S ribosomal subunit. A close structural similarity between the RNA-binding domain of archaeal L10 and the RNA-binding domain of bacterial L10 has been demonstrated. In this work, a long RNA-binding N-terminal fragment of L10 from Methanococcus jannaschii has been isolated and crystallized. The crystal structure of this fragment (which encompasses two-thirds of the protein) has been solved at 1.6 Å resolution. The model presented shows the structure of the RNA-binding domain and the structure of the adjacent domain that exist in archaeal L10 and eukaryotic P0 proteins only. Furthermore, our model incorporated into the structure of the H. marismortui 50S ribosomal subunit allows clarification of the structure of the archaeal ribosomal stalk base.     

Mechanistic Role of Structurally Dynamic Regions in Dicistroviridae IGR IRESs

Dicistroviridae intergenic region (IGR) internal ribosome entry site(s) (IRES) RNAs drive a cap-independent pathway of translation initiation, recruiting both small and large ribosomal subunits to viral RNA without the use of any canonical translation initiation factors. This ability is conferred by the folded three-dimensional structure of the IRES RNA, which has been solved by X-ray crystallography. Here, we report the chemical probing of Plautia stali intestine virus IGR IRES in the unbound form, in the 40S-subunit-bound form, and in the 80S-ribosome-bound form. The results, when combined with an analysis of crystal structures, suggest that parts of the IRES RNA change structure as the preinitiation complex forms. Using mutagenesis coupled with native gel electrophoresis, preinitiation complex assembly assays, and translation initiation assays, we show that these potentially structurally dynamic elements of the IRES are involved in different steps in the pathway of ribosome recruitment and translation initiation. Like tRNAs, it appears that the IGR IRES undergoes local structural changes that are coordinated with structural changes in the ribosome, and these are critical for the IRES mechanism of action.     

Following the dynamics of changes in solvent accessibility of 16 S and 23 S rRNA during ribosomal subunit association using synchrotron-generated hydroxyl radicals

We have probed the structure and dynamics of ribosomal RNA in the Escherichia coli ribosome using equilibrium and time-resolved hydroxyl radical (OH) RNA footprinting to explore changes in the solvent-accessible surface of the rRNA with single-nucleotide resolution. The goal of these studies is to better understand the structural transitions that accompany association of the 30 S and 50 S subunits and to build a foundation for the quantitative analysis of ribosome structural dynamics during translation. Clear portraits of the subunit interface surfaces for 16 S and 23 S rRNA were obtained by constructing difference maps between the OH protection maps of the free subunits and that of the associated ribosome. In addition to inter-subunit contacts consistent with the crystal structure, additional OH protections are evident in regions at or near the subunit interface that reflect association-induced conformational changes. Comparison of these data with the comparable difference maps of the solvent-accessible surface of the rRNA calculated for the Thermus thermophilus X-ray crystal structures shows extensive agreement but also distinct differences. As a prelude to time-resolved OH footprinting studies, the reactivity profiles obtained using Fe(II)EDTA and X-ray generated OH were comprehensively compared. The reactivity patterns are similar except for a small number of nucleotides that have decreased reactivity to OH generated from Fe(II)EDTA compared to X-rays. These nucleotides are generally close to ribosomal proteins, which can quench diffusing radicals by virtue of side-chain oxidation. Synchrotron X-ray OH footprinting was used to monitor the kinetics of association of the 30 S and 50 S subunits. The rates individually measured for the inter-subunit contacts are comparable within experimental error. The application of this approach to the study of ribosome dynamics during the translation cycle is discussed.     

Observation of intersubunit movement of the ribosome in solution using FRET

Protein synthesis is believed to be a dynamic process, involving structural rearrangements of the ribosome. Cryo-EM reconstructions of certain elongation factor G (EF-G)-containing complexes have led to the proposal that translocation of tRNA and mRNA through the ribosome, from the A to P to E sites, is accompanied by a rotational movement between the two ribosomal subunits. Here, we have used F?rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to monitor changes in the relative orientation of the ribosomal subunits in different complexes trapped at intermediate stages of translocation in solution. Binding of EF-G to the ribosome in the presence of the non-hydrolyzable GTP analogue GDPNP or GTP plus fusidic acid causes an increase in the efficiency of energy transfer between fluorophores introduced into proteins S11 in the 30 S subunit and L9 in the 50 S subunit, and a decrease in energy transfer between S6 and L9. Similar anti-correlated changes in energy transfer occur upon binding the GTP-requiring release factor RF3. These changes are consistent with the counter-clockwise rotation of the 30 S subunit relative to the 50 S subunit observed in cryo-EM studies. Reaction of ribosomal complexes containing the peptidyl-tRNA analogues N-Ac-Phe-tRNAPhe, N-Ac-Met-tRNAMet or f-Met-tRNAfMet with puromycin, conditions favoring movement of the resulting deacylated tRNAs into the P/E hybrid state, leads to similar changes in FRET. Conversely, treatment of a ribosomal complex containing deacylated and peptidyl-tRNAs bound in the A/P and P/E states, respectively, with EF-G.GTP causes reversal of the FRET changes. The use of FRET has enabled direct observation of intersubunit movement in solution, provides independent evidence that formation of the hybrid state is coupled to rotation of the 30 S subunit and shows that the intersubunit movement is reversed during the second step of translocation.     

GTPase activation of elongation factor EF‐Tu by the ribosome during decoding

We have used single‐particle reconstruction in cryo‐electron microscopy to determine a structure of the Thermus thermophilus ribosome in which the ternary complex of elongation factor Tu (EF‐Tu), tRNA and guanine nucleotide has been trapped on the ribosome using the antibiotic kirromycin. This represents the state in the decoding process just after codon recognition by tRNA and the resulting GTP hydrolysis by EF‐Tu, but before the release of EF‐Tu from the ribosome. Progress in sample purification and image processing made it possible to reach a resolution of 6.4 Å. Secondary structure elements in tRNA, EF‐Tu and the ribosome, and even GDP and kirromycin, could all be visualized directly. The structure reveals a complex conformational rearrangement of the tRNA in the A/T state and the interactions with the functionally important switch regions of EF‐Tu crucial to GTP hydrolysis. Thus, the structure provides insights into the molecular mechanism of signalling codon recognition from the decoding centre of the 30S subunit to the GTPase centre of EF‐Tu.     

Molecular recognition and catalysis in translation termination complexes

When the ribosome machinery reaches a stop codon in the mRNA, protein synthesis stops, and nascent polypeptide release is catalysed by class-I release factors (RFs); class-II RFs then promote the release of class-I RFs. Cryo electron microscopy structures of termination complexes and crystal structures of isolated factors have provided insights into key concepts such as bridging of active sites on the ribosome, and conformational changes that regulate the termination process. Recent crystal structures of the four possible functional ribosome complexes that contain the class-I RFs and the three stop codons have uncovered the molecular mechanisms by which RF1/RF2 (i) both recognise UAA, but discriminate specifically between UAG and UGA, and (ii) catalyse peptide release. Moreover, ongoing research also promises to reveal the structure-function relations of class-II RFs.     

The roles of RNA in the synthesis of protein

The crystal structures of ribosomes that have been obtained since 2000 have transformed our understanding of protein synthesis. In addition to proving that RNA is responsible for catalyzing peptide bond formation, these structures have provided important insights into the mechanistic details of how the ribosome functions. This review emphasizes what has been learned about the mechanism of peptide bond formation, the antibiotics that inhibit ribosome function, and the fidelity of decoding.     

The Role of L1 Stalk-tRNA Interaction in the Ribosome Elongation Cycle

The ribosomal L1 stalk is a mobile structure implicated in directing tRNA movement during translocation through the ribosome. This article investigates three aspects of L1 stalk-tRNA interaction. First, by combining data from cryo electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, and molecular dynamics simulations through the molecular dynamics flexible fitting method, we obtained atomic models of different tRNAs occupying the hybrid P/E state interacting with the L1 stalk. These models confirm the assignment of fluorescence resonance energy transfer states from previous single-molecule investigations of L1 stalk dynamics. Second, the models reconcile how initiator tRNA^fMet interacts less strongly with the L1 stalk compared to elongator tRNA^Phe, as seen in previous single-molecule experiments. Third, results from a simulation of the entire ribosome in which the L1 stalk is moved from a half-closed conformation to its open conformation are found to support the hypothesis that L1 stalk opening is involved in tRNA release from the ribosome.     

Interactions of translational factor EF-G with the bacterial ribosome before and after mRNA translocation

A conserved translation factor, known as EF-G in bacteria, promotes the translocation of tRNA and mRNA in the ribosome during protein synthesis. Here, EF-G.ribosome complexes in two intermediate states, before and after mRNA translocation, have been probed with hydroxyl radicals generated from free Fe(II)-EDTA. Before mRNA translocation and GTP hydrolysis, EF-G protected a limited set of nucleotides in both subunits of the ribosome from cleavage by hydroxyl radicals. In this state, an extensive set of nucleotides, in the platform and head domains of the 30S subunit and in the L7/L12 stalk region of the 50S subunit, became more exposed to hydroxyl radical attack, suggestive of conformational changes in these domains. Following mRNA translocation, EF-G protected a larger set of nucleotides (23S rRNA helices H43, H44, H89, and H95; 16S rRNA helices h5 and h15). No nucleotide with enhanced reactivity to hydroxyl radicals was detected in this latter state. Both before and after mRNA translocation, EF-G protected identical nucleotides in h5 and h15 of the 30S subunit. These results suggest that h5 and h15 may remain associated with EF-G during the dynamic course of the translocation mechanism. Nucleotides in H43 and H44 of the 50S subunit were protected only after translocation and GTP hydrolysis, suggesting that these helices interact dynamically with EF-G. The effects in H95 suggest that EF-G interacts weakly with H95 before mRNA translocation and strongly and more extensively with this helix following mRNA translocation.     

Structure of the base of the L7/L12 stalk of the Haloarcula marismortui large ribosomal subunit: analysis of L11 movements

Initiation factors, elongation factors, and release factors all interact with the L7/L12 stalk of the large ribosomal subunit during their respective GTP-dependent cycles on the ribosome. Electron density corresponding to the stalk is not present in previous crystal structures of either 50 S subunits or 70 S ribosomes. We have now discovered conditions that result in a more ordered factor-binding center in the Haloarcula marismortui (H.ma) large ribosomal subunit crystals and consequently allows the visualization of the full-length L11, the N-terminal domain (NTD) of L10 and helices 43 and 44 of 23 S rRNA. The resulting model is currently the most complete reported structure of a L7/L12 stalk in the context of a ribosome. This region contains a series of intermolecular interfaces that are smaller than those typically seen in other ribonucleoprotein interactions within the 50 S subunit. Comparisons of the L11 NTD position between the current structure, which is has an NTD splayed out with respect to previous structures, and other structures of ribosomes in different functional states demonstrates a dynamic range of L11 NTD movements. We propose that the L11 NTD moves through three different relative positions during the translational cycle: apo-ribosome, factor-bound pre-GTP hydrolysis and post-GTP hydrolysis. These positions outline a pathway for L11 NTD movements that are dependent on the specific nucleotide state of the bound ligand. These three states are represented by the orientations of the L11 NTD relative to the ribosome and suggest that L11 may play a more specialized role in the factor binding cycle than previously appreciated.     

ArfA Recruits RF2 into Stalled Ribosomes

During translation in Escherichia coli, the ribosome rescue factor YaeJ and the alternative ribosome rescue factor (ArfA, previously called YhdL) can release stalled ribosomes from mRNA. Here, I used a reconstituted cell-free protein synthesis system to examine YaeJ- and ArfA-dependent recycling of stalled ribosomes, in which mRNA lacks in-frame stop codons. It is shown that YaeJ alone could recycle the ribosome but that ArfA required the presence of release factor 2 (RF2). Furthermore, I show that RF2 binds to stalled ribosomes only in the presence of ArfA, demonstrating that ArfA recruits RF2 into the A site of the ribosome to facilitate peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis. It is also demonstrated that the efficiency of the ArfA-dependent process decreases rapidly with an increase in mRNA length downstream of the A site of the ribosome whereas YaeJ function is maintained on mRNA with sufficient length. From the results, I discuss differences of in vivo roles of these two systems in addition to the well-known tmRNA-dependent trans-translation system.