How the ribosome hands the A-site tRNA to the P site during EF-G–catalyzed translocation

Abstract

Caught in the act of making protein The ribosome is a large RNA-protein complex that converts the genetic code stored in messenger RNA (mRNA) into proteins. Zhou et al. have determined the structure of a bacterial ribosome caught in the act of decoding an mRNA. Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) decipher the genetic code in the mRNA to ensure that the ribosome uses the correct amino acids. The structure shows tRNAs in the process of being moved between successive protein-building binding pockets as the ribosome reads the mRNA like a piece of old-fashion computer tape. Science , this issue p. 1188